Tales of Warcraft: Eversong
by loc-zsu
Summary: Erthos had never imagined, when he started his warlock training, that he would be summoned by the leader of the Blood Elves, nor that his life would go through many drastic changes as he made his way from the depths of the Plaguelands to the forests of Ashenvale. All he knows is that the world is much harsher than he first thought.
1. Prelude: The Blood Knight

_Eversong_

-A Warcraft Tale-  
-Part of the "Tales of Warcraft" series—

By Loc-zsu

* * *

The events of this story are set in the MMORPG World of Warcraft roughly during the time of the Burning Crusade expansion.

Credit goes to Blizzard for creating the world that this story takes part in, as well as many of the characters involved.

Erthos, Zyathri and quite a few other characters that will appear later are completely custom created characters and used with permission of the creators.

* * *

_Prologue_

_The Blood Knight_

High above the Eversong Woods, the clouds started to gather, obscuring the luscious green trees from the rays of life giving sunlight. Within the hallowed walls of the sacred Silvermoon City that resides within the woods, a dark haired Blood Elf turned her eyes skywards before sighing slightly. The Blood Elf's name was Zyathri, and she had been charged with patrolling what seemed like the endless streets of Silvermoon City. Patrolling the city was but one of Zyathri's responsibilities as a member of the Blood Knights, a group of the elite Blood Elves.

Unlike most Blood Knights, who wore either blood red armour or silver, Zyathri was adorned in a black set of armour, marking her higher rank amongst the Blood Knights, a pair of large, thick gloves covering her hands as well as thick boots covering her legs and feet. On her shoulders rested more armour in the form of large shoulder pieces. Attached to them was a golden cape that ran down her back, almost touching the floor. Attached to a belt around Zyathri's waist was her trusty sword, and attached to her left arm via two leather straps was her shield. Finally, resting upon her chest was the mark worn by all of the Blood Knights, the image of a red bird, its wings stretching out above it.

Just as Zyathri walked underneath a small canopy, the heavens above opened, letting down a torrent of rain. With a roll of her eyes, Zyathri brought the palm of her hand up to her forehead, causing a slight smacking noise as the two came into contact with each other. Not only did she have to patrol the city, but now she had to do it in the rain! Just as Zyathri prepared to take a step out into the rain, running a hand through her shoulder length raven colour hair, she spotted someone running through the streets towards her, calling out her name. With an eyebrow raised, the Blood Knight placed her hand on her sword, not wanting to take any chances.

"Lady…Lady Zyathri!" the person called out, the voice clearly a male one. Zyathri let her guard relax slightly, recognising the individual as one of the blood elf messengers that run around Silvermoon City, handing out messages to others who live in the city. Zyathri beckoned for the messenger to come under the canopy, protected from the rain, as well as giving him a chance to catch his breath. The elf came to a stop beside Zyathri, puffing and panting, his hands on his knees as he tried to control his breath. After nearly a minute of nothing, the man stood up and straightened himself out before talking. "Lady Zyathri, begging your pardon for the interruption, but Lord Lor'themar demands your presence. He says it's urgent" the messenger said, relaxing slightly as soon as he had delivered his message.

Following a slight sigh and a nod, Zyathri quickly sprinted through the rain to the stable close by where her faithful Thalassian Charger, Nightmare, was quite happily eating some hay. Upon seeing Zyathri come running over, Nightmare slowly trotted towards her, stopping at the edge of the cover from the rain. Zyathri stopped next to the great Charger, lightly patting it on the neck with a smile, getting a quiet neigh from the horse. With ease and deftness, Zyathri climbed up onto the back of Nightmare before taking hold of the reigns and giving them a slight shake, causing her mount to burst into a quick sprint towards the Court of the Sun and the Sunfury Spire.

Zyathri couldn't help but wonder why Lor'themar wanted to see her, although she hoped that it was as urgent as the messenger made it out to be. She was not one to have her time wasted. _At the very least, it gets me out of the dullness that is patrol duty…_ Zyathri thought to herself as her Charger turned and ran into the Court of the Sun. Slowing down to a gentle trot, Nightmare moved towards the Spire before stopping at its entrance, allowing Zyathri to jump down off of his back and head through its grand entrance.

Zyathri gazed upwards at the tall ceiling as she walked towards the gathered council who turned to look at her as she approached them. They slowly separated and Lord Loth'remar took a step forwards. Stopping a few feet from the Lord, Zyathri went down on one knee and bowed her head slightly.

"Glory to the Sin'dorei" she said, keeping her head bowed as she addressed Lor'themar. The blood elf smiled slightly and motioned for Zyathri to stand.

"Greetings, Zyathri. I am glad you have arrived so quickly" he said, taking a step towards the Blood Knight. As he moved, his long flowing robes dragged along the ground slightly, and the other council members spoke amongst themselves quietly. "I have an urgent task that I need you to undertake."

"What is it that you require of me, Lord?" Zyathri asked, standing upright, placing her hand on the handle of her blade, standing to attention.

"It is a simple task. Some of the Farstriders have found a rather unusual item that needs to be transported to Lady Sylvannas Windrunner with all due haste." Lor'themar slowly paced from side to side, as if he was thinking for a moment, before addressing Zyathri again. "There is a young warlock in Sunstrider Isle that I believe is well suited for the task. Please take this letter to him."

Zyathri opened her mouth in protest as she took the letter from Lor'themar, but no words came forth. With a slight sigh she bowed slightly, tucking the letter away safely, before turning and walking away towards Nightmare.

"Summoned to be a mere messenger?" Zyathri muttered under her breath, her anger boiling slightly. "I'm a high ranking member of the Blood Knights…not some errand girl..." With another grumble, Zyathri mounted up on the back of Nightmare, cursing the rain again, before sprinting off towards Sunstrider Isle.


	2. Chapter 1: The Warlock of Eversong

_Chapter One_

_The Warlock of Eversong_

Sitting in the shade of a tree, his back resting against the soft bark, Erthos focused his attention on his hands. His brow furrowed slightly as he held his breath focusing harder, closing his eyes. There was a slight crackle in the air above his hands followed quickly by the formation of a small energy ball. Opening his eyes, the young blood elf lets out a triumphant cheer, gazing at the ball of energy.

It had taken him nearly all day practising and nearly a week of studying, but he had finally summoned a shadow bolt. He continued to gaze at the energy ball, amazed at it as it floated a few centimetres above his hand, swirling slowly.

"Hey! Erthos!" Erthos jumped slightly at the sudden noise that came at him. He looked up to see Charan, his childhood friend, running towards him. Closing his hand, the energy ball vanished with a slight flash. With a smile, Erthos stood up, brushing down his robe slightly and waved to his friend. Charan waved back as he sprinted up to Erthos, puffing and panting as he tried to catch his breath. Erthos chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Deep breaths, Charan, deep breaths." Erthos said, Charan offering a nod in response. After a few moments, the blood elf stood up right, stretching his back slightly and brushing his mid length, lightly coloured hair back in place, a stark contrast to Erthos' own long, darkly coloured hair.

"You're needed." Charan said, nodding slightly. "You have to come with me. It seems you're being sent somewhere. Come on!" Before Erthos had a chance to respond, Charan had sprinted off back to the buildings a short distance away. With a slight sigh and a smile, Ethos sprinted after his friend, quickly forgetting the small feat he had achieved not to long ago.

It wasn't long before Erthos arrived at one of the tall towers that the blood elves liked to build in the surrounding hills. Outside, happily eating the grass and hay was an impressively armoured horse that looked up at him for a moment before returning to eating.

With his curiosity peaked, Erthos walked into the tower to see Charan standing to one side. In the middle of the room stood his warlock teacher who was discussing something with someone that Erthos had not seen before. She stood tall, and heavily armoured, a long, golden cloak draped behind her. As Erthos approached, his teacher looked to him, and the woman turned around.

"Would you happen to be the one they call Erthos, young sir?" the woman asked, studying him for a moment. Reaching into a pouch that hung on her waist, the woman pulled out a letter and held it towards Erthos. "If so, this is for you."

His hands shaking, Erthos reached out and took the letter from the woman. As soon as she had turned around he had recognised her as one of the Blood Knights of Silvermoon City. He looked at the letter, glancing over to Charan who seemed to keep his composure very well, all things considered.

"This is for me?" he asked, turning the letter over in his hands, running his fingers along the seal that proved that not only had it not been opened, but it had come from the ruling council in Silvermoon. "There must be a mistake" he said, looking up at the Knight, shaking his head and laughing nervously.

"If you are Erthos, then there is no mistake" the woman said, shaking her head slightly, obviously annoyed. "Read the letter then come with me. Lord Lor'themar has summoned you." At that, the woman walked past and stepped outside, standing beside her horse. "Damn you Lor'themar" she mumbled under her breath as she climbed up onto her mount. "Making me nothing but a messenger girl…I am a Blood Knight of Silvermoon!"

Erthos could only watch as the woman walked outside to her horse. Looking at the letter again he carefully opened it and pulled it out. The letter was brief, only stating that his presence was requested in Silvermoon and that he was to travel there as soon as possible. The bottom of the letter was signed by Lor'themar. Folding the letter up and tucking it into his robes, Erthos sprinted outside.

"Wait for me!" he said as he ran up to the Blood Knight who had already started to slowly move towards Silvermoon City. Erthos took a quick look behind him to see Charan waving slightly with a smile on his lips. Waving back, Erthos quickly matched the pace of the horse and followed beside the Blood Knight.

"Do you know why im being summoned?" Erthos asked, running a hand through his hair as clouds formed overhead, travelling from the direction of Silvermoon. It looked to him like it was going to rain.

The Knight brought her steed to a halt and looked down at the young warlock she had been assigned to collect. She let out a sigh before shrugging slightly.

"All I know is that Lord Lor'themar is going to send you to the Undercity, to take some…item of some sort to Lady Sylvannas Windrunner.." she said, no enthusiasm showing in her voice, proving to Erthos that she didn't really want to be undertaking the task. She remained silent for a moment before offering a hand.

"Come on, get on" she said, nodding her head slightly at a space behind her on her horse. "I'll give you a ride to Silvermoon."

Erthos looked at the Knight for a moment, pondering on her words. He had heard of Sylvannas before, but had never met her. He had never even been to Silvermoon before, but that looked to soon be changing for him. Seeing the look of slight impatience on the Knight's face, he took the offered hand and clambered onto the back of her steed. Not used to riding on a horse, Erthos positioned himself as best he could before carefully placing his arms around the Knights waist for support.

"You know, you never mentioned your name" Erthos said, trying not to get to comfortable in his current position, afraid that the Blood Knight might not like such a breach of personal space as it was, let alone with him getting comfortable.

"My name is Zyathri" she responded as she reached forward and patted the neck of her mount. "Come Nightmare, let us go" she said to her horse. As she sat upright again, and the horse started to move, a set of golden runes seemed to form on the air around the horses hooves, causing the mount to suddenly run a lot faster.

As the mount speeds up, Erthos gripped Zyathri slightly harder, letting out a slight yelp at the increase of speed. Zyathri didn't seem to mind the young warlock holding onto her, or at least if she did, she didn't show it. He soon became accustomed to the increased speed and loosened his grip slightly.

As they rode along the clean, well placed paths, Erthos rolled Zyathri's name around in his mouth, getting used to it. Along side them, the trees whizzed past, whilst in front of them, various guards moved to one side to allow the Blood Knight and her companion through.

They were soon charging through Falconwing Square, some of the inhabitants there looking up from their shopping stalls and random tasks to watch as Nightmare swiftly rode past. Erthos looked behind them as they rode through the archway towards Silvermoon City, catching a glimpse of a couple of young children who were trying to chase after them whilst laughing gleefully.

Turning to look ahead of them, Erthos saw the Dead Scar that reached from one end of the land, all the way up to the other. The land along the scar was almost black in colour, and any trees or plants that remained were withered and decaying. The remains of various Blood Elf buildings and Scourge war machines littered the arid land, casting a nasty scene. At the very edges, it could be seen where the fresh land tried to grow back onto the Scar, but failed in its attempts.

As they approached, Erthos could make out more Blood Knights and Blood Elf conscripts fighting against the Scourge that infested the Scar. Zyathri glanced at them as they rode through, one of her hands moving down to the hilt of her blade, prepared to attack just in case. The Scourge who weren't already in combat turned their rotten heads to look at the Charger as it sped past them, letting out a groan as their bones creaked.

You'll stay away, if you know what's good for you… Zyathri thought to herself, glaring slightly at the Scourge, as they quickly made it across the Dead Scar, arriving once again on a well paved piece of road.

Ahead of the duo, the spires of Silvermoon City rose skywards, taking up the skyline. Erthos gazed at them in wonder as Zyathri brought her mount to a gentle trot as they approached the main gate. Even outside the city, Erthos could see the difference in culture.

To his left, Erthos watched as a female Tauren passed a pouch, that Erthos assumed was filled with money, to a Blood Elf who then called down a Dragonhawk for the Tauren. Erthos continued to watch as the Tauren climbed onto the back of the Dragonhawk before it launched skywards and flew over head, ferrying its rider to some far off location.

Looking to the right, Erthos saw a stable set up where a collection of Hawkstriders were happily grazing. Off to the side, at what looked to be a makeshift office that consisted of a table and two chairs, a Blood Elf was signing a contract before climbing onto the back of a vibrant red Hawkstrider after passing a large collection of coins to the owner.

Peering over Zyathri's shoulder, Erthos marvelled at the sight of the entrance to Silvermoon City as Nightmare walked through them, entering into the glistening city streets. Stopping next to the stables, Zyathri climbs down off of the back of her steed before looking to Erthos.

"Come on, I still need to get you inside" she said, rather impatiently. Inwardly, she thought to herself: Why am I doing this…it's a waste of my time and talent… Erthos could see and hear the impatience from Zyathri and quickly climbed down off of the back of Nightmare. As soon as the warlock's feet touched the floor, Nightmare trotted into the stables and started munching on some hay, whilst Erthos shook his legs slightly, trying to get some feeling back into them.

Brushing his robe down and running a hand through his hair, Erthos looked up to Zyathri who had her arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently. Laughing nervously, Erthos quickly moves up besides her, waiting for her to lead on.

Shaking her head slightly, Zyathri starts to walk through Silvermoon at a brisk pace, Erthos having to occasionally break into a jog to keep up with the Blood Knight. Everywhere they went, the Blood Elves that went about their business stopped to look at the imposing figure of Zyathri, whispering amongst themselves.

"Doesn't she look impressive?"  
"Must be important business for Zyathri to be rushing about like that."  
"Mommy, I want pretty hair like hers!"  
"Who do you think the boy is?"  
"I don't recognise him."

Erthos tried to avoid looking around, keeping his eyes focused on the ground. He could hear all of the whispers that were floating around on the air, and he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself by gawking at everything around him.

Just in front of him, Zyathri carried on as if nothing unusual was happening. As they walked, other guards and Knights would stop and salute to Zyathri, who would return the gesture in kind before continuing on. If she felt pride in her role at all, it wasn't showing on her face. The only thing that was showing was her continued impatience.

As the duo walked through an archway into a new area of Silvermoon, that Erthos saw was sign posted as Murder Row, the warlock took a quick moment to glance around, seeing that the crowds from before were now much more scarce in this area. Only a few Blood Elves were dotted around, and they all seemed to be keeping to themselves.

Erthos gazed in wonder at the tall white buildings that were lining the sides of the large area that Zyathri led him, their slightly golden designs glistening in the sun that now shone over head. Various plants and trees were dotted around, adding a natural beauty to the scene. Erthos was so engrossed in looking around that he almost walked straight into the back of Zyathri who had stopped at the foot of the bridge leading up to the Sunfury Spire.

"This is where Lord Lor'themar will see you" Zyathri said, looking to Erthos and motioning towards the Spire. On either side of the bridge running up to the tower stood many a guard, adorned in shinning golden and red armour. Erthos looked at them, then at the tower before looking back to Zyathri.

"Am…am I going up there by myself then?" Erthos asked her, a solid lump forming in his throat as the gravity of the situation seemed to just suddenly drop on him.

"What's the matter?" Zyathri asked, smirking slightly, trying to suppress her laughter. "Need me to hold your hand while you go talk to Lord Lor'themar?" Her voice was thick with sarcasm, causing Erthos to look down at the ground with slight embarrassment. The sarcasm quickly stopped as Lord Lor'themar stepped out of the Spire.

"Zyathri!" he called out, his voice echoing all around Murder Row. "Bring the young warlock in, would you? I need to talk to you both." Before either could offer a response, Lor'themar turned around swiftly and walked back into the Spire, the velvet drapes that were adorned just inside twisting and waving about slightly.

"Alright, lets go" Zyathri says before leading Erthos up the stairs, a look of bewilderment and confusion on his face. This is not my day…Zyathri thinks to herself as she glances behind her to make sure the warlock is following, noticing that his hands are shaking slightly, causing her to shake her head and sigh.

Making sure to stay close, Erthos watched as the guards bowed slightly at Zyathri's passing. Once inside the Spire, Erthos made sure to keep his mouth closed as the two of them stopped in front of the council, Lor'themar standing at the forefront of them all.

"My Lord, this is the warlock you requested" Zyathri said, her voice sound official and formal as she took hold of Erthos and moved him in front of her so as to make sure he paid attention.

"Yes…" said Lor'themar, nodding slightly as he studied Erthos, looking him up and down. Erthos tried to remain calm as Zyathri kept her hands on his arms, keeping him in place. With a firm nod, Lor'themar carried on.

"Young man, you have been chosen to deliver this amulet to Lady Sylvannas Windrunner within the Undercity. This is a very important task that I need you to do. I trust you will be able to this without issue?" Opening up a small satchel, Lor'themar pulled out a small amulet that hung on a thin chain. The amulet a slight green glow to it, but otherwise looked unremarkable.

Erthos reached out and took the amulet in his hand, studying it for a moment. He turned it over in his hand before looking up at Lor'themar started to walk away. Taking a step forwards, Erthos quickly spoke.

"My Lord, I must ask, why me?" The words seemed to be falling out of Erthos' mouth without his permission as a look of shock spread across his face. He quickly brought his hand to his mouth, wishing he could take back what he had said, but knowing it was already too late to do so.

The leader of the Blood Elves stopped mid stride and turned to face Erthos, who started to feel very small. A faint smile played on the lips of Lor'themar as he took a step towards Erthos.

"I had heard of your training to become a warlock from your teacher." Lor'themar said, his eyes seeming to bore into Erthos. Erthos himself couldn't help but feel a slight burst of happiness that Lor'themar was aware of his training. "Think of this as a field test of your abilities." With a faint chuckled, he turns and starts to walk away again before stopping.

"Oh, and Zyathri? Accompany young Erthos, will you? You never know how the Forsaken are going to act to newcomers who enter their city" he adds before walking away, not leaving the two of them time to respond.

Zyathri watches as Lor'themar walks away before letting out a slight sigh, burying her face in the palm of her hand. What did I do to deserve this… she thought to herself. Letting her hand drop to her side, she walks outside of the Spire, quickly followed by Erthos who took the chain that held the amulet and slipped it over his head, letting it rest around his neck.

"We may as well stay at an inn for the night" Zyathri said, looking out across Murder Row. "Then tomorrow we will use the Orb of Translocation to get to the Undercity. In the mean time though, hide the amulet, will you? We do have some thieves in Silvermoon…" Zyathri shook her head slightly before walking off, leaving Erthos standing there before he slid the amulet inside his robes and jogged after the Blood Knight.

It wasn't long before the two of them had located an inn within the sprawling city of Silvermoon. Overhead the sun had started to dip slightly, and people were beginning to shut up their shops and stalls. Most inns were full, but Zyathri had managed to find the last one with a spare room.

"Yes, I can accommodate the two of you" the innkeeper said, bowing slightly towards Zyathri. "And, naturally, it will be free of charge for you, Blood Knight." Zyathri frowned slightly before pointing to Erthos.

"It's free for him as well" she said in a stern voice, causing the innkeeper to shy away slightly before nodding in response Taking the key from the innkeeper, Zyathri led Erthos upstairs to their room, opening the door into a large, open plan room that held two beds and a simple sink.

As Erthos walked in, he noticed the sleeping arrangements and started to stammer slightly. He looked to Zyathri and pointed at the room.

"Theres only one room…" he said, his cheeks turning a slight red colour as Zyathri walked in and sat down on one of the beds, undoing the straps on her shield. She looked up at Erthos as she placed her shield on the table stand beside her, smirking at him slightly.

"Surely you're not scared of sharing a room with me?" Zyathri said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she let out a laugh. "There are two beds. Is that not enough?" Shaking her head slightly, she went back to her task, undoing the belt that kept her sword around her waist and laying it on top of her shield.

Erthos opened his mouth to respond, but found it hard to find the words. He quickly moved and sat down on the other bed, looking down at the floor. The amulet hung loosely around his neck as he turned and looked over to Zyathri who was now standing up and stretching slightly. She looked over to Erthos, remaining silent for a moment.

"Wait here" she said, moving to the door. "I need to see if the innkeeper has any other clothes for me to wear for the night." Without letting Erthos respond, she walked out of the room, a smirk still on her face, chuckling at the young Blood Elf's reactions.

Erthos waited quietly for Zyathri to return, occasionally looking around the room, before looking back at the bed that rested on the opposite side of the room. He knew he had no reason to be embarrassed by the situation. Zyathri certainly didn't seem to be. Erthos was so lost in his thoughts that the sudden arrival of Zyathri back in the room caused him to jump slightly.

"Still awake then" Zyathri said with a slight smirk, a long black robe hanging from one of her arms. Walking into the room, closing the door behind her, she placed the robe gently on the bed.

"If you're easily embarrassed, you might want to look away" she said, looking to Erthos, the smirk growing on her face. Erthos looked at her, raising one eyebrow slightly, his mind not quick to grasp what she meant.

"Well, if your not going to turn around, at least help me" Zyathri said, crossing her arms before turning around so her back was towards Erthos. "It is easier to remove these shoulder guards with help than it is by myself."

As if the penny had dropped, Erthos' eyes went wide at Zyathri's earlier statement. He stammered slightly before slowly standing up and walking to the Blood Knight. He gulped slightly as he gently moved Zyathri's hair out of the way, allowing him access to the two buckles on the back of the armour that kept the shoulder pieces in place. With his hands shaking, he quickly undone them before taking a step back.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Zyathri said, reaching up and lifting the shoulder pieces up and over her head, placing them on the ground next to the small table. Standing up straight again, Zyathri stretched her arms above her head, seeming to be glad to be able to move about freely again. Erthos couldn't help but note that without the rather large shoulder armour, Zyathri was starting to look a lot more delicate in nature.

No longer either not needing or wanting Erthos' help, Zyathri began removing her other pieces of armour, placing them all in a neat pile. Erthos remained sat on his bed the entire time, trying not to watch the scene opposite him. His will gave out however, and he couldn't help but watch as Zyathri removed her leg armour, revealing her bare legs underneath, the skin seeming pale in the light of the room.

For a few moments, Zyathri remained standing quietly, looking out across the balcony that was in their room, the only clothing still remaining being her black Blood Knight tabard. If she knew that Erthos had been watching her, she made no motion to it. As she turned around to pick up the robe off of her bed, Erthos quickly looked away, not wanting to get caught for fear that it would result in a broken arm on his part.

"Its safe to look now, if you weren't already" Zyathri said with a smirk, leaning against the wall beside her bed, the black robe now wrapped around her, covering her almost entirely. Without any of her armour on, Erthos' eyes made notice of her rather shapely body before shaking his head slightly, looking away for a moment as he felt his cheeks turn red.

Zyathri made a slight humph noise, frowning as Erthos looked away. She looked at him for a moment before walking out onto the balcony where night had started to fully set in. She let out a quiet sigh as she rested her arms on the rails, looking across the various buildings, the quiet bustle of night life wafting on the gentle breeze that blew through Zyathri's hair.

Erthos suddenly appeared beside Zyathri, also looking across the city, although Zyathri made no move of recognition that she saw him. The two of them remained quiet as the moon finalised its position in the night sky, the clouds gently moving across the black, star filled cover above.

"You know…" Erthos said quietly, still looking outwards. "You look rather nice in that robe…" Zyathri smiled faintly as the wind changed direction slightly, blowing her lose hair across her face. "And…I did look…" Erthos closed his eyes, flinching slightly, expecting a firm punch from Zyathri. When it didn't come, he opened his eyes and looked to her.

"I know you did" she said, her voice seeming a lot softer than normal, the smile more evident on her face, more gentle. Erthos stared at Zyathri as she slowly rose up, stifling a slight yawn. "I assume you liked what you saw." With a faint smirk, Zyathri turned and walked back into their room, heading towards her bed, leaving a rather embarrassed Erthos to himself.

As he watched her walk away, Erthos swore that she was swaying her hips more deliberately… Shaking his head, chalking it up to his mind playing tricks on him, Erthos looked back out into Silvermoon, taking in a deep breath and breathing out slowly. I should sleep…big day ahead of me tomorrow… he thought to himself before turning around and heading back into the room.

Glancing to Zyathri, it seemed that she had already fallen asleep. With a faint smile, Erthos quickly extinguished the various light sources in the room before removing his robe and climbing into his bed. It didn't take him long to fall into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 2: The Undead and the Scarlet

_Chapter 2_

_The Undead and the Scarlet_

When Erthos awoke the following morning, he was alone in the room. Stretching his arms and letting out a yawn, he slowly sat up, looking down at the amulet that was still hanging from his neck. Zyathri's armour and weapon was no longer on the side, and her bed was freshly made.

After taking a few moments to freshen himself up in the small water basin, Erthos slung is his robe back on, making sure the amulet stayed hidden. Looking around the room one last time, and making sure he had everything, Erthos headed downstairs to see if he could find Zyathri. When he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, the innkeeper came over and told him that his breakfast was ready for him, and that Zyathri had a few errands to run before they set off. Shrugging slightly, Erthos sat at a table in the corner and started eating slowly, watching as various people came from other rooms in the inn and started eating.

It wasn't long before Zyathri returned, once more adorned from head to toe in her armour. Erthos' mind flashed back to what he had seen the night before, and he couldn't help but smile. Zyathri, on the other hand, had returned to her stern appearance. Pulling out a chair, she sat down opposite Erthos.

"You are well rested, I take it?" she asked him, readily taking a drink brought to her by a waitress. Erthos nodded as he took another bite out of his meal. He had never tasted anything so nice before.

"Good" Zyathri continued, taking a sip from her drink. "Once you are finished there, we will return to the Spire and use the Orb of Translocation to get to the Undercity. It is quicker than heading through the Plaguelands." Erthos nodded in agreement again. He didn't actually know what the Orb was, nor how big the Plaguelands actually were, so he trusted that Zyathri knew well enough.

As soon as Erthos finished, the two of them left the inn, walking out into the blazing sun. Erthos raised his hand slightly to block the sun as his eyes adjusted to the brightness. Zyathri didn't stop walking, leaving Erthos' to jog to catch up with her.

As with the day before, when they first arrived, there were plenty of whispers about the two of them walking through Silvermoon. They city seemed to be a lot busier as well, with more people cluttering the streets. Merchants trying to sell their wares, people looking to buy them, whilst mothers ran after their children that were dodging and weaving through the crowds. Erthos couldn't help but wonder how people got anything done in such a city.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the Sunfury Spire again, the guards still standing to attention along the bridge. Erthos wondered if they were the same ones as before, but discarded the idea entirely. Once inside the spire, Erthos breathed a sigh of relief, glad for the brief respite from the scorching heat that was being generated by the sun.

Unlike when Erthos had been standing there prior to talk with Lord Lor'themar, this time the Spire looked to be empty. The council and Lor'themar were no where to be seen. Zyathri continued to lead Erthos through the spire, taking him up a small ramp into a room behind the council chambers. Sitting on a platform was a glowing red orb.

Walking past Zyathri, Erthos walks up to the Orb, reaching out with his hand. Holding his hands just above the surface, he lets out a light, nervous laugh. He stared at his reflection in its mirrored surface before letting his hand drop to his side. I have no idea how this works… Erthos thought to himself.

"After you" Erthos says, looking slightly nervous as he looks to Zyathri, motioning towards the Orb. Zyathri looks back at Erthos, shaking her head slightly and sighing. Reaching out, she places her hand on its surface and shrugs slightly before being enveloped in arcane energy and vanishing.

Erthos blinked at the spot where Zyathri had been sanding only a few seconds before, moving over to the spot and looking at the Orb. He was still clueless about what he was supposed to do. Biting his bottom lip slightly, he reached out, placing his palm on the cool surface of the Orb and closed his eyes. After a few moments he opened one of his eyes, his muscles relaxing.

"Well, know wh-" Erthos' sentence was cut short as the arcane energy wrapped itself around him. There was a bright light as everything around him faded, rapidly being replaced by tones of grey. Erthos feels a cold breeze rush around his body as the light fades and he mumbles the last part of his sentence. "…at…" Erthos slowly removes his hand from the Orb and looks around before looking to Zyathri who was standing a few paces away.

"Hi" he said, slightly embarrassed for some reason, waving slightly. Zyathri looked at him for a moment before burying her face in her hand, shaking her head slightly. Turning around, she walked to the entrance to the room that the Orb was in.

"Coming?" Zyathri called out to Erthos as she walked into the main ruins of Lordaeron. Now…where is the entrance… Zyathri thinks to herself. Ugh…I had hoped to never come back here…After a few moments of searching, Zyathri got her bearings and headed into the ruins.

Erthos quickly caught up with Zyathri, looking around at the ruins as the slowly make their way through. Reaching out, he ran his fingers along the stone walls, feeling the various cracks and marks that time and war had caused.

"Have you been here before, Zyathri?" Erthos asked, feeling a slight chill run down his spine as another cool breeze travelled through the ruins, running past the two Blood Elves, causing their hair to sway slightly.

"A few too many times…" Zyathri said quietly, nodding very faintly as she lead Erthos down a passageway, knowing it lead to the elevators that travel to the Undercity. Erthos wondered what she meant by "too many times", but thought nothing of it. As they turned a corner, a faint odour started to fill the hall. At the end of the passageway, standing guard at the entrance to the elevator, were two Forsaken Abominations.

Knowing all to well that the stench was enough to make even the strongest of stomachs turn, Zyathri held her nose before quickly moving forwards. Erthos, however, did not know. At first, when he spotted the Abominations, he was intrigued by them. They were large, fleshy creatures whose stomachs were sliced open, exposing their putrid guts to the world. All sorts of foul things oozed from their bodies, contaminating the air.

As soon as they moved closer, Erthos understood why Zyathri had held her nose. The smell assaulted his nose, instantly causing him to gag, his stomach attempting to void the food it had received not to long ago. Bringing his hand to his mouth, Erthos ran to an alcove, just in time as his stomach emptying everything it held into one giant mess on the floor. Erthos remained doubled over as he spat and coughed, trying to get the foul taste out of his mouth and nose, but failing miserably.

"Come on, get into the elevator before it leaves…" Zyathri said, shaking her head slightly, still holding her nose. Underneath though, the smell was starting to affect her as well, and her stomach was starting to churn. Reaching into a small bag that hung from her waist, Zyathri pulled out a bottle of clear water and took a quick sip of it, trying to calm her stomach.

Erthos, meanwhile, steadied himself against the wall, still coughing slightly, as he looked at the Abominations, and Zyathri who was now standing in the elevator. Taking a deep breath and holding his nose, he quickly sprinted into the elevator, just in time as the door slid shut, sealing them off from the dreadful stench.

"Here, drink this" Zyathri said, offering the bottle of water to Erthos, who was now taking deep breaths of fresh air as the elevator started to travel down. Erthos gladly took the bottle and took a large gulp of it, trying to wash the taste from his mouth. Using the sleeve to wipe his mouth of any remaining vomit, Erthos passed the water back to Zyathri who put it away, before using his other sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"That…was not pleasant" Erthos said slowly, standing upright, a feeling of shame and embarrassment flowing through him in regards to what had just happened. "The water helped though, thank you…"

"It happened to me too, when I first came here." Zyathri says with a slight smirk before simply shaking her head. The elevator slowly comes to a stop as it reached the bottom, the stone doors opening slowly. Much to Erthos' thanks, there were no Abominations on the other side. The two of them exited the elevator just before the door closes again and the elevator travels up to the surface once more.

"Where next?" Erthos asked, looking over to Zyathri. After a few moments of thinking and working out where they had ended up, Zyathri led the two of them down the corridor into the central hub of the Undercity. As they walked, Erthos placed his hands behind his back, standing fully upright, trying to give an impression of authority and importance.

"Well, the royal chamber is behind us, so we go down and around. This place is a giant ring." Zyathri said, quietly, glancing to Erthos. Seeing his current posture, Zyathri raised an eye brow, shaking her head slightly. "What are you doing?" she asked, stopping for a moment to look at him.

Erthos tried to make some kind of answer up, but found himself failing to do so. With a slight sigh, he let his shoulders sag and his arms drop to his sides.

"Come on. Make sure you don't lose sight of me, this place is easy to get lost in…" Zyathri said as she started walking again, Erthos following quietly in tow. Unlike in Silvermoon, where people were watching Erthos everywhere they went, in the Undercity, everyone seemed to be keeping to themselves. The atmosphere was a lot more dank and dark as well. Must be the lack of natural light… Erthos thought to himself.

Staying close, Zyathri led Erthos over a bridge that crossed a river of green slime that slowly circled the entire Undercity. Erthos looked at it as they walked over it, noticing the various skulls and bones that would bubble to the surface before sinking again.

Many a time as they walked through the Undercity towards Sylvannas, Erthos stumbled into other people, most of who ended up growling and swearing at him. Each time he apologised profusely and quickly ran to catch up with Zyathri, who was somehow expertly weaving through the crowds.

Silvermoon had been filled with all sorts of nicely mannered people, mostly Blood Elves with the occasional Tauren. In contrast though, the Undercity was filled with Undead and Orcs. Erthos found that the Orcs were the ones who he most often bumped into, and the ones who gave him the meanest looks.

Turning round a corner, the two blood elves stood before a long corridor, guarded by two of Sylvannas' royal dread guards. They looked to Zyathri who stepped towards them, one of her hands hovering above the hilt on her blade.

"I'm here to see Sylvannas" she said in a rather commanding tone. As if an after thought, she quickly took hold of Erthos, pulling him in front of her. "And this one is with me."

The two royal guards nodded silently before moving to one side, allowing Zyathri and Erthos to walk past them both. The entire time, Erthos remained silent, looking all around him. I wonder how long it took them to build all this… he thought to himself as he stared at the high ceiling before looking back down as they came to the end of the passage way.

As they walked into the Royal Chamber, their path was blocked by a large Dreadlord, his arms folded across his chest. He looked down at the two Blood Elves, snorting slightly.

"And who might you be?" the demon asked, leaning forwards slightly and looking at Zyathri. Tilting her head to the side, Zyathri calmly responded.

"I am Zyathri, of the Blood Knights of Silvermoon." Looking over to Erthos, Zyathri gestured to him. "And this is Erthos. We are here to see Sylvannas." Erthos offered a weak smile as he looked at the imposing figure before him. He wondered how Zyathri could stand there so calmly. His fear only grew as the Dreadlord broke out into a monstrous laugh, shaking his head.

"Your title means nothing to us, puny blood elf. You are not worthy to talk to the Dark Lady" he managed to say, whilst still laughing at Erthos and Zyathri. Zyathri let out a faint sigh and looked to Erthos, giving him a faint shrug.

As the Dreadlord laughed at Zyathri, Erthos felt something bubble inside him, not noticing the amulet around his neck starting to grow warmer. Without even realising it, Erthos had taken a step forwards towards the Dreadlord, even though every fibre of his being was telling him to leave.

"Sir, if you would please lend me your ear…" Erthos began, choosing his words carefully. "It is of utmost importance that we see Lady Sylvannas." Reaching into his robe, Erthos pulled the amulet out, only now noticing the warmth it was giving off. "I have been charged with bringing this to her by Lord Lor'themar. It is urgent that I complete my task. Wont you let us by, so we can stop wasting your time?"

Zyathri slightly raised an eyebrow as the Dreadlord turned to look at Erthos, who was doing his best not to show how scared he really was. There was silence for a few moments before the giant demon burst into laughter again, obviously finding what Erthos had said to be amusing.

"Puny creature, your lord means nothing to us" the Dreadlord said before pausing, crossing his arms across his chest. "However…" he said slowly, looking at the amulet. "Your…task…seems to be important. I will allow you to see the Dark Lady…" The Dreadlord paused again and grinned at Erthos, lowering himself down to look directly at him.

"…Only if you prove yourself worthy."

There was a slight sigh and a faint slapping noise as Zyathri covered her face with her palm, shaking her head slightly.

Not another god damned errand… she thought to herself, throwing a look to Erthos, who somehow looked even more scared than before, before looking to the Dreadlord again.

"Look, demon, we are not your lackeys. Go do your own damned work" Zyathri said, her voice sounding very commanding. The Dreadlord's face flashed with anger as he rose himself up, staring down at Zyathri.

"You will do as I say if this task is so important!" he bellowed at her. Before things got any further, Erthos stepped in between the two of them, looking at the Dreadlord before looking to Zyathri.

"Zyathri…please…" Erthos said quietly, looking at her. Zyathri glared at Erthos for stepping in before simply turning her back on him and walking up the passage. Erthos watched Zyathri walk away, feeling a lump form in his throat. Turning back around, he looked up at the Dreadlord.

"What is it you will have us do, demon?" he asked quietly, his mind lingering on Zyathri. The Dreadlord turns his attention back to Erthos, lowering himself down again.

"There is a particular book within the Monastery, not far from here, containing secrets of demonic magic. I want you to get it for me…" The Dreadlord said before grinning at Erthos. "But…said Monastery is inhabited by the Scarlet Zealots who have been troubling the Dark Lady for quite some time. Do us a favour and get rid of them while you are at it." The demon lets out another laugh before turning its back on Erthos, dismissing him.

Putting the amulet back into its hiding place in his robes, Erthos walks back up the passageway to where Zyathri is waiting, stopping short just behind her. He looked at her for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"Im sorry…" he finally said, thinking that the words sounded hollow, as well as leaving a taste almost as foul as his vomit from earlier in his mouth. Erthos remained silent as he waited for a response, looking down at the ground.

Zyathri slowly turned and looked at him, not saying anything. After a few moments, she lets out a quiet sigh and shrugs. Looks like I'm stuck with him for a while longer… she thought to herself, crossing her arms and turning away from Erthos. Closing her eyes Zyathri ponders the situation for a few more moments.

"So, it looks like you've got us doing more than I had planned…" she says quietly and slowly, shaking her head slightly before turning to face Erthos again, her arms still crossed. "Where are we going, then? And why?"

Erthos looked at Zyathri standing there, studying her face as she stared blankly at him. He wished he could change what he had done, yet he wasn't entirely sure why. After all, I only met her yesterday…and she has teased me a lot in such a short time… Erthos thought to himself. Letting out a slight sigh, Erthos walked forwards, past Zyathri. Stopping, he turned his head slightly.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to" he said, closing his eyes for a moment. "I should be ok to take care of myself. You've done your bit. You brought me to the Undercity." Turning his head back and opening his eyes, Erthos started walking onwards once more.

Zyathri's arms fell to her sides before she sighed quietly, following just behind Erthos.

"I was assigned to guard you until your task is complete…" she said quietly. "Lor'themar will have my hide if I return to Silvermoon without you…" Zyathri suddenly overtook Erthos and stood in front of him, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Besides…" she carried on, a slight smirk showing on her lips. "We both know you wouldn't last five minutes without me. Now, I ask again: where are we going?" As she stands in front of Erthos, a ring of blue runes appears beneath them both, a sense of protection flowing through the both of them.

Erthos smiled slightly, letting out a slight laugh at Zyathri's comment. He glanced down at the runes that were slowly fading away before looking back up to Zyathri.

"We need to go to the near by Monastery" Erthos said slowly, wondering how Zyathri would react to the knowledge of where they were going. Thankfully, she seemed unfazed. "We need to get a book about demon magic… and to kill anyone we come across…" Erthos' voice trails off at the end as he looks away slightly.

"I suppose we had better get going then" Zyathri says with a slight shrug. Its not as if we have much choice… she thought to herself as she double checked her weapon and shield. Turning around, Zyathri quickly led Erthos back through the Undercity, towards the elevator where she knew the Abominations and their ungodly stench would be waiting for them.

"How long will it take us to get to the Monastery?" Erthos asked as the two of them walked into the elevator again. As they rode upwards, the memory of the Abominations came to Erthos' mind and he shuddered slightly.

"Not long at all, once we are out of the Undercity" Zyathri said, smiling faintly as she noticed Erthos shuddering slightly. "I'll call Nightmare to take us there. Oh, and hold your nose this time." As the elevator came to a slow, Zyathri held her nose with her hand and took a deep breath, motioning for Erthos to do the same.

Wondering what Zyathri meant by calling Nightmare, Erthos quickly held his own nose and took a deep breath, just in time as the door slid open. As soon as he was able to, Erthos sprinted past the Abominations and up the corridor, away from their stench.

"Gods, they are putrid" he stated as he took in a deep breath of fresh air, the cool winds striking him once more. Zyathri quickly came up behind him, more of a smile on her face.

"Yes, vile things. As are most of the Forsaken" she said with a slight laugh. Leading Erthos outside of the ruins, Zyathri stopped for a moment. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she started to channel light energy. Erthos watched quietly, noticing her lips moving slowly, in what he assumed was her reciting some spell.

After a bright flash, that caused Erthos to cover his eyes for a moment, there was a slight grunt as Nightmare trotted over to the two of them, standing in front of Zyathri. Smiling, Zyathri reached out and gently placed her hand on the mounts side. With one swift motion, she climbed onto Nightmares back before offering a hand to Erthos to help him up.

Taking the offered hand, Erthos climbed onto the mount, positioning himself behind Zyathri. Once again, he wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling more comfortable with the position this time. Looking behind them Erthos looked at the ruins that hide the entrance to the Undercity. I wonder how long this will take us… he thought to himself.

"Away we go…" Erthos says quietly, turning and looking forward. Closing his eyes, Erthos waited for the inevitable jerk that came with Nightmare breaking into a full on sprint. As if on queue, Nightmare sped away from the ruins, running along the path that led towards the Monastery.

"Let's pick up the pace, shall we Nightmare?" Zyathri says to her steed, patting Nightmare on the side. Once again, golden runes form around Nightmares feet and the mount charges forwards at an increased speed.

"We'll be there before you know it, Erthos" Zyathri said with a slight smile. The sooner we get there and get this done, the sooner we can see Sylvannas and then I can finally go back to Silvermoon… Zyathri thought to herself.

As the mount sped through Tirisfal Glades, Erthos looked at the few things he could catch sight of amongst the trees that lined the paths edge. The occasional demon hound would be sniffing at the path, but would quickly move away from the mount as it charged past. Every now and then, Erthos caught sight of some random person battling against one of the local creatures, some winning, although some weren't faring so well.

Taking a sudden turn, Nightmare ran up hill, following a well trodden path. The path was almost completely faded away, being replaced by grass that was growing all over it. Ahead of them, Erthos caught sigh of the spires of the Monastery, rising skywards. As they approached the Monastery, Nightmare slowed down to a trot before coming to a full stop.

"Be on your guard…" Zyathri said quietly as she jumped down to the ground. "The inhabitants here aren't called Zealots without reason." Cautiously, Zyathri checked the immediate area around them. There was no sign of anyone outside of the Monastery.

Jumping down, Erthos landed beside Zyathri, stretching his legs slightly. Looking down at his robe, a question formed in his mind and he looked to Zyathri.

"Err, I don't suppose you have a dagger to spare, do you?" Erthos asked sheepishly. "I don't have a weapon of my own and…well…my magic isn't much to go by at the moment." Erthos chuckled nervously, knowing that in truth, it was only recently that he had managed his first spell, and he had no idea how strong it had been.

Zyathri looked to Erthos, seeming slightly surprised by his request. She gave him a faint shrug, tilting her head to the side. Erthos looked at her for a moment before letting out a slight sigh. Zyathri only carried with her the items that were visible; her sword, shield and a small bag containing a few reagents and drinks.

"I don't have any other weapon with me, aside from my sword" Zyathri said, shaking her head slightly. "But trust me, with me here, you won't need a weapon." She tried to give Erthos a reassuring smile, who smiled back slightly in response, nodding a little.

Turning on her heel, Zyathri confidently walked through the main door of the Monastery, Erthos following close behind her. Inside, the first corridor of the Monastery was very well kept. The stain glass windows were spotless, and pictures hung on both sides of the walls. The floors looked clean enough for someone to eat off of.

After a few moments, as the two of them approach the end of the corridor, the sound of footsteps started to echo close by. In a quick move, Zyathri pulled her sword from its sheath and readied her shield. From around the corner, a human female appeared. She stopped as she saw Zyathri and Erthos. Adorned in crimson armour, the woman held a mace in one hand, and a shield in the other, the symbol of the Scarlet Crusade showing on it.

"Halt, fiends!" the woman called out, pointing her mace at the two of them. "This is a place of the light! How dare you intrude here!" Her loud voice started to echo around the room they were in, and through the corridors of the Monastery. Erthos hoped that it wasn't so loud that others came running.

Letting out a loud battle cry, the woman charged towards Zyathri, raising her mace to attack. Before the woman had a chance to get close, Zyathri's shield started to glow and she swung it round into the path of the Scarlet attacker.

As soon as the woman collided with the shield, she let out a cry, stumbling backwards, gripping her ribs. Erthos quickly dashed to the side, so as to avoid the conflict. He watched as the Zealot stood there for a moment, groaning with pain, Erthos trying to suppress his laughter. Glancing to the side, he saw a sight that caused the colour to quickly fade from his face.

"Z-Zyathri…?" he managed to say, having to force the word out. Raising a hand, he point towards a doorway not to far away where a group Zealots had begun to charge towards the Blood Knight and the young warlock.

"Don't worry, as long as they are preoccupied with me, your fine" Zyathri said calmly, looking over to the incoming Zealots. As soon as they are close enough, Zyathri quickly reached down, brushing her fingers along the floor. As she does, holy energy arched across the floor, encompassing a small area around her. As soon as the Zealots ran across it, they started to cry out in pain, as if being burnt.

Those that had a strong enough will to push past the pain tried to attack Zyathri, who easily blocked them away with her shield, before slashing at them with her sword. Noticing Erthos standing to the side, one of the Zealots moved over to him quickly, deciding the young warlock would be an easier target.

"Oh no you don't" Zyathri said as she caught sight of the Zealot. Reaching out with her hand, a shield of light enveloped Erthos, just as he jumped out of the way of a swing from the Zealot, causing him to yelp slightly. With an evil glare, the Zealot turned and looked at Zyathri who made a taunting gesture at him, smirking as she did. "Come and pick on someone your own size."

As the Zealot charged towards Zyathri, Erthos took a step forwards. I really shouldn't… he thought to himself as he brought his hands together in front of him and focused. But what if she can't handle them all? Concern washed through Erthos as a dark energy ball formed in-between his hands, almost twice the size of the first one he had conjured.

Looking at the energy ball with a large grin, Erthos took aim and launched it at the Zealot. He watched as it flew through the air before colliding with the legs of the Zealot who had tried to attack him, causing him to tumble forwards into another group of Zealots who had charged in to attack. They group fell onto the floor, but little more damage was caused by the attack.

Zyathri blinked slightly as she watched the Zealots fall over. She looked over to Erthos, raising one eyebrow, who simply shrugged slightly and let out a nervous laugh. Looking back to the Zealots who were now trying to get up off the floor, Zyathri reached down again, letting another wave of holy energy arc across the floor, burning all those within its reach.

After a few moments, Zyathri looked to Erthos again. On the floor the Zealots remained still, obviously now all dead.

"I don't think they will bother us further" Zyathri said calmly, moving over to Erthos who was now scouring the Zealots, trying to find a dagger he can use. He quickly found one and took it from its previous owner, along with its sheath. Attaching it to his belt, he looked to Zyathri who sighed slightly, but seemed calm.

"You're good" Erthos said slowly. "Very good…" He adjusted his robes slightly, whilst making sure the amulet was still around his neck. Glad that it was still present, he looked back to Zyathri.

Zyathri shrugged slightly at Erthos' statement. "I have gone through years of training, don't forget" she said as she started to move further into the Monastery. "I suppose we are looking for a library…"

Years of training… Erthos thought to himself as he followed behind Zyathri. As they walked through the halls of the Monastery, trying to find the library, Erthos found himself looking at the various books that were dotted around, along with all sorts of religious artefacts. It was whilst they were looking that Erthos stopped.

"Wait a second" Erthos said as he quickly moved over to a wall. Handing on the wall was an impressive looking staff. Reaching up, Erthos took the staff off of the wall, holding it in his hands. He ran his fingers along its length, feeling the notches and grooves in it, along with the large, green coloured gem that was embedded in the top. Upon closer inspection, Erthos noticed that the markings were actually runes, although he had no idea what they said or meant.

Walking up behind Erthos, Zyathri placed a hand gently on his shoulder, shaking her head slightly.

"Look, let's just get what we came for, and leave…" Zyathri said to him quietly, trying no to sound to stern. "No messing around." Erthos nodded slightly and placed the staff back on the wall before looking down and mumbling sorry.

The two of them began moving through the halls and rooms again, trying to find some evidence of a library in the Monastery. Trying to keep his mind off of how he seemed to constantly be annoying Zyathri, Erthos focused on the amulet, pulling it out of his robe and holding it in his hand. As he studied it, he noticed something that had escaped him before. Whilst he was wearing the amulet, he felt his strength and willpower increase, his connection to the magical energies of the world getting stronger. Smiling slightly at this discovery, Erthos put the amulet away again.

After what seemed like much to long of a time, Zyathri found what looked to be a library. Thank goodness… she thought to herself as they both walked up to the entrance to the room. I was about ready to give up…

"Be careful, Erthos" Zyathri said as they stood at the entrance to the room. Drawing her sword and shield, Zyathri prepared herself to enter the room. Neither of them knew what they would find in there. Taking a deep breath, Zyathri ran in, ready to attack. Much to her thanks, however, the room was empty. There were, however, bookcases lining all of the walls, filled to capacity with books of all shapes and sizes.

"And how are we supposed to know which is the right one?" Zyathri asked, turning to look at Erthos. Erthos had moved to the middle of the room and was looking around at all of the books. He had always enjoyed reading, and would have loved to spend time reading the books in this room. Looking over to Zyathri, he came up with an answer to her question.

"Well, if its important enough for our task, it would be by itself…" Erthos began to say as he moved to one of the book shelves, pulling out one of the books quickly. "However, if the Zealots are smart, they wouldn't leave something important like a spell book lying around. They would put it in with all the others." Turning to look at Zyathri, Erthos smiled slightly before looking back at the shelf in front of him. "Or at least that's what I would do…" he added quietly, almost as an after thought.

Zyathri looked at Erthos, slightly surprised at his logical deduction before sighing, realising it meant they would need to check all of the books. Moving to a bookshelf, Zyathri joined in with looking through the books. After a few minutes, she stopped and looked over to Erthos, making sure he was still ok.

All of a sudden, a loud voice boomed from outside of the room.

"You will not defile these mysteries!" the voice shouted. A Scarlet Mage came running into the room, holding in his hand the same staff that Erthos had been looking at not to long ago. Under his breath, Erthos cursed for not actually taking the staff.

Before either the Blood Knight or the Warlock had a chance to react, the Mage began to channel magic at Zyathri, sending bolts of arcane energy at her. Not having time to raise her shield, the energy bolts collided with her, causing Zyathri to stumble backwards into one of the book shelves.

"Ugh…a mage…" Zyathri muttered to herself as she got up, drawing out her sword and shield. "I hate mages." Channelling her holy energy, Zyathri threw a magical hammer at the mage, stunning him momentarily.

"Erthos!" Zyathri said, pointing to a unique looking book that was tucked underneath one arm of the Mage. "I think that's the book we are after." Erthos looked to where Zyathri was pointing and smiled. It did indeed look like the book they were after.

"Yes! That's the one!" he called out, pointing himself, suddenly realising how pointless it is for him to be pointing as well. Shaking his head suddenly, the Mage looked to Erthos, frowning slightly. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, the Mage let loose another volley of magic, this time aiming them at Erthos. Letting out a cry, Erthos dived to the side, narrowly avoiding the magic as it collided with the bookshelf behind him, sending torn pages flying everywhere.

Before the Mage can do anything else, Zyathri charged forwards, readying her shield. The Mage turned just in time to see Zyathri ram her shoulder into him, causing him to stumble backwards. That was the only opening Zyathri needed as she brought her shield round and slammed it into the side of the Mages head.

Erthos looked over to the two of them as they both stood still for a moment, pieces of magically burnt paper swirling in the air around them. As if unsure of what had happened, the Mage brought his hand slowly to the side of his head before falling to his knees, then falling over, the blow from the shield knocking him unconscious.

Looking down at her defeated foe, Zyathri took the book from his possession, as well as picking up the staff. He won't be needing it anymore… Zyathri thought to herself as she moved towards Erthos.

"Are you alright?" she asked Erthos, offering the staff to him as he pulled himself back to his feet. He nodded slightly, taking a firm hold of the staff as Zyathri quickly flicked through the pages of the book.

"This is the right one" Zyathri said with a nod, allowing a small smile to escape from her lips. Erthos let out a sigh of relief, obviously glad that they now had the book. "We'd best get going before more Zealots arrive." She said, putting the book into her bag.

"Agreed, lets go" Erthos said with a nod. He didn't want to be in the Monastery any longer than they absolutely had to. Now that they had the book, they were nearing the end of their task. Then I can return home to my training, and Zyathri would be able to return to her duties in Silvermoon City… Erthos thought to himself. Looking to Zyathri quickly as she lead him out of the Monastery, he couldn't help but feel a touch of sadness that they would soon be parting ways.


	4. Chapter 3: Banshees and Plaguelands

_Chapter 3_

_Banshees and Plaguelands_

Outside of the Monastery, Zyathri called to Nightmare who happily trotted up to her. Pleased to see her steed again, she smiled and lightly patted him on the side. With her usual level of ease, she climbed up onto his back before offering a hand to Erthos to help him up. Taking the hand, Erthos climbed onto the back of Nightmare, using one hand to hold the staff, and the other wrapped around Zyathri for stability.

"At least we are out of there now…" Zyathri said quietly as Nightmare started to trot down the road. "Let's get this book to the Undercity." _At last…soon I can go back to Silvermoon_… Zyathri thought to herself as an after thought, smiling faintly.

As they journeyed back to the Undercity, the two of them remained silent. As with before, the various beasts and animals voided them, and the trees simply whizzed past them. It was finally Erthos who broke the silence.

"Hey, Zyathri?" he asked, shaking his head slightly to try and get some hair from his face. "What do you think it is that makes this amulet so important?" He glanced down at his robes where he could make out a slight lump where the amulet was resting against his chest.

Zyathri thought about Erthos' question for a moment as Nightmare continued onwards to the Undercity, the golden runes appearing at his feet and increasing his speed.

"It more than likely holds some kind of magical property." She eventually answered to the question. "But as for what kind, I don't know…" Erthos went quiet as he thought on Zyathri's answer. The amulet certainly had magical properties to it. He could feel them whenever it came into contact with his skin. He remained quiet for a few moments before asking another question.

"Why would Sylvannas want it? Surely someone such as herself has enough power at her disposal?"

Zyathri remained quiet after Erthos' question, simply offering a shrug in response along with a quiet sigh. The two Blood Elves remained silent for the rest of the journey back, leaving each other to their own thoughts.

It wasn't long before Nightmare turned and ran up the small hill to the ruins of Lordaeron, where he came to a gentle stop. _Here we are…_ Zyathri thought quietly to herself as she slowly climbed off of Nightmare. Lost in her own thoughts, she walked into the ruins, leaving Erthos to catch up.

Erthos watched Zyathri, wondering what was on her mind, before he jumped down from the back of Nightmare, stumbling slightly, but managing to regain some balance before he fell flat on his face. After a quick look around to make sure no one saw him nearly fall over, he quickly jogged after Zyathri before matching her pace walking beside her.

"Hey, just a quick question" he said as he glanced down at the staff in his hand. "Is there somewhere in the Undercity where I can get some sort of holder for this staff? It's a bit impractical to be carrying it around in my hands everywhere…"

Zyathri turned her head and looked at Erthos as they moved further into the ruins, before looking down at the staff. She gave a slight shrug before responding.

"You can probably buy a holder somewhere in the Magic Quarter" she said as they turned to the corridor to the lifts. At the end of the corridor, the Abominations stood to guard, causing Erthos to gag slightly.

"Come on, don't go throwing up again" Zyathri said with a smirk before holding her nose and sprinting past the Abominations into the waiting elevator. Taking a deep breath and holding his own nose, Erthos sprinted after Zyathri, joining her.

Both of them began to relax as the door closed, glad to be away from the Abominations. After a few moments, the elevator stopped and the door opened. Zyathri quickly stepped out, followed by Erthos. Walking to the inner ring, Zyathri stopped and looked around, trying to work out where they were.

"The Magic Quarter is behind us" Zyathri said with a nod, looking to Erthos. "We may as well get that holder for you whilst we are here." Zyathri started walking down a slope to get to the Magic Quarter, motioning for Erthos to follow.

Erthos followed along side Zyathri, his staff in hand. As they walked, he looked around, catching glimpses of people going about their business. It looked to be quieter than the last time they were in the Undercity, which Erthos was grateful for. He didn't want to run into any more Orcs.

It wasn't long before the more commercial area of the Undercity faded away and was replaced by a strong feeling of magic. All around them people were selling magical wares and services, ranging from lucky charms to people willing to enchant their gear.

It only took Zyathri a few moments to locate the Staff merchant, an Undead man who was stood quietly behind his stall. Zyathri looked around, trying to find something that looked like a staff holder for Erthos.

"Can I help you..?" the Undead finally asked, his voice sounding dull and unenthusiastic. Zyathri continued to look around for a moment before looking to the merchant.

"Yes, we're looking for a staff holder." She replied. The merchant nodded slightly, causing Erthos to wonder what was holding his head to his bare decaying neck, before looking around his stall. With another nod, the merchant took hold of a staff holder and held it out to Zyathri.

"Fifty silver coins" he said. Zyathri looked to Erthos and gestured to the merchant. Looking from the holder to the merchant, Erthos stepped forwards whilst reaching into the folds of his robe. He then pulled out a leather bag, large in size, but small enough for him to hold in one hand. He untied the cord that kept it closed before pulling out a gold coin and passing it to the merchant.

Taking the coin, the merchant bit down on it, causing some of his rotten teeth to crack slightly. Happy that the coin was real, the merchant reached into a small compartment behind the stall, where Erthos could hear the clinking of coins. Holding out his hand, the merchant passed 50 silver coins back to Erthos, along with the staff holder.

Happy with his purchase, Erthos slipped the strap to the holder over his head, so that it ran diagonally across his chest and back. After making sure it was comfortable, he then placed his recently acquired staff into his new holder, glad that it slotted in perfectly. Adjusting the strap again, Erthos felt the amulet being pressed against his chest, feeling the breath of magical energy running through him.

Zyathri watched Erthos for a moment before moving towards the Royal Quarter, Erthos quickly catching up with her. _Soon it will all be over and I can go back to Silvermoon_ Zyathri thought to herself, smiling slightly. She looked to Erthos as they walked, her smile faltering slightly. _Although…despite his annoying curiosity…he isn't so bad…_

Erthos stayed close by to Zyathri the entire time they walked towards the Royal Quarter. As they walked, Erthos' mind started to wonder about what he would do after they had finished their task.

"Maybe they have need of a permanent messenger boy" he mused to himself, not realising he had said it out loud. It was certainly an idea that had merit. It would allow him to travel a lot, and meet new people. With a faint chuckle, he put the thought and idea on the shelf for consideration later on.

Zyathri didn't seem to notice Erthos' remark as they entered the Royal Quarter, or at least if she did, she made no mention of it. She remained quiet as they walked down the corridor to the royal chambers themselves, where the Dreadlord was quick to stand in their way once again.

"Do you have the book?" he said with a snarl, his arms folded across his chest. Reaching into her bag, Zyathri pulled out the book and passed it to the Dreadlord, who quickly snatched it up.

_This had better be worth it…_ Zyathri thought to herself, throwing a quick look to Erthos. _Our task should have long been done by now…_

With baited breath, Erthos watched as the Dreadlord flicked through the book, checking to make sure it was the right one. With a slight growl and a smirk, the demon closed the book and moved out of their way, motioning for them to move forwards.

Ahead of them, Erthos saw Sylvannas, standing almost stock still. As they walked closer, Erthos felt that the distance between them was getting greater, not smaller. He could feel his nerves building up again and glanced to Zyathri to see how she was holding up. Erthos was not surprised to see that Zyathri looked completely calm and in control.

As soon as they stopped in front of Sylvannas, Erthos bowed politely, remaining silent. Zyathri stood just behind him and likewise bowed to the Banshee Queen. There was silence as Sylvannas regarded the two of them with a cold, dead gaze before finally speaking.

"You are the Sin'dorei sent to me by Lor'themar, I assume?" she said slowly, looking to Erthos more than Zyathri. "Well, I have no time for games. Hurry and show me what is so important."

"You mean you didn't send for us?" Zyathri suddenly asked before Erthos could respond. Sylvannas turned her head slowly and looked at Zyathri before shaking her head slightly. Erthos found himself being a bit confused by this revelation. _If she hadn't asked for us, then who did?_ He thought to himself.

With a slight frown, Erthos moved closer to Sylvannas. Out of the corner of his eye, Erthos caught sight of the Dreadlord watching him. Stopping a short distance away, Erthos focused solely on Sylvannas, who turned to look at him with her cold eyes. Reaching into his robe, he pulled out the amulet slowly, showing it to Sylvannas.

"We were told to bring this to you" he said quietly, trying to remain calm in the presence of someone with as much power as Sylvannas. Leaning forwards for a moment, Sylvannas looked at the amulet before quickly moving back, a look of shock on her face.

"Take that off at once!" she yells. "It is a Scourge amulet!" Zyathri looks at Sylvannas, then Erthos, her hand instantly moving to her blade. Sylvannas quickly regains her composure as fear and panic start to spread across his features. Judging from how Sylvannas was now acting, Zyathri could tell she was concerned for Erthos.

"Erthos…" Zyathri said quietly, looking to the young Blood Elf. The tone of Zyathri's voice, and the worry on her face only made the fear inside Erthos stronger. "Take the amulet off. It's not safe…"

Erthos began to raise his arm to remove the amulet, but his arm soon stopped. He looked to Sylvannas then Zyathri, his mouth opening to say something, but nothing coming out. Seeing Erthos' struggle, Sylvannas stepped forward and took hold of the amulet, removing it from his neck.

"Holding it shouldn't harm you" she said slowly, holding the amulet out to Erthos, who took it cautiously. "But don't wear it again." Sylvannas went quiet for a moment, as if thinking, before saying more. "Perhaps you should take the amulet to the Argent Dawn in the Eastern Plaguelands. They may be able to rid the scourge properties from it, so that it may be used."

Erthos looked at the amulet in his hand, turning it over and over, watching its dull glow. He couldn't help but wonder how something as small and basic as an amulet could cause so much worry in people like Zyathri and Sylvannas. Erthos looked back up again, still holding the amulet.

"I didn't feel any different" he said slowly. "I felt stronger, I guess, but no different." Erthos' mind thought on how it felt to have the amulet around his neck. He went silent for a moment before asking a more pertinent question. "Why were we told to bring this to you?" Erthos looked to Zyathri, then Sylvannas, hoping that an answer would be provided.

Sylvannas remained silent for a moment, as if she was thinking as to why they had been asked to deliver the amulet.

"I am unsure" she finally said after a few minutes of thinking. "Perhaps to simply identify the amulet…" Sylvannas shook her head and gestured toward the exit. "Leave my sanctum, now." Erthos nodded slightly before turning and moving towards the exit.

As he left the room, Zyathri soon following behind him, he couldn't help but notice the looks that everyone in the room was now giving him. Once they were outside of the room, Erthos stopped and waited for Zyathri so that they could plan their next move.

_Its not like we have to go to the Plaguelands…_ he thought to himself as he looked down at the amulet._ But can we go back to Silvermoon with the amulet still in our possession?_ Erthos let out a slight sigh, hoping that Zyathri would have the answers.

Zyathri soon stops next to Erthos, looking to him quietly. There was silence between the two of them as Zyathri simply shrugged slightly and shook her head, waiting for Erthos to say something. Erthos looked at Zyathri, not knowing what to say. With a quiet sigh, he looked down at the amulet for a moment.

"What could have happened?" he asked, looking back to Zyathri. "If, you know, I had kept the amulet on for a much longer time. What would have happened to me?" Zyathri looked at Erthos and shook her head slightly.

"You could have turned into one of the scourge…" she whispered softly, looking down at the ground. I should have know the risks of the amulet… she thought to herself. I should have warned Erthos about it…

Erthos quickly caught on to the change in her voice, noticing how hard it was for him to hear her. He instinctively reached out and placed a hand on her arm reassuringly.

"The important thing is that it didn't happen" he said quietly whilst giving her a smile. He squeezed her arm slightly, trying to comfort her in some way. Zyathri simply sighed quietly, still looking at the ground. Erthos looked at her for a moment before moving in front of her.

"Where's the woman that was teasing me happily at the inn in Silvermoon, hmm?" he said, looking at her with a smile. Slowly she raised her head up and looked him in the eye. For a moment, Erthos thought she was going to thump him and walk away.

"You would remember that, wouldn't you…" she said quietly, a small smile forming.

"I did say I liked what I saw, didn't I?" Erthos said, his cheeks turning red slightly as he let out a laugh. Zyathri sighed again, but also seemed to visibly cheer up. She looked away from Erthos for a moment before looking back to him.

"We should get you checked for Scourge infection, just in case." She said softly, slight signs of concern still seeping through. "Along with taking the amulet to the Argent Dawn, we should ask them to examine you."

"Yeah, your right" Erthos said with a slight nod. "I assume you know how to get there?" Erthos offered Zyathri a warm smile, brushing a stray piece of his hair from his face. Zyathri closed her eyes for a moment and folded her arms across her chest.

"I do know the way, yes" she said, opening her eyes and looking to Erthos. "But you should probably learn your away around sometime." Zyathri smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "Im not going to be around to take you places forever, you know."

Before Erthos could respond, Zyathri started walking towards the elevator to head outside. Erthos watched Zyathri as she walked away, her words cutting deep into him.

"Maybe one day I will learn my way around…" he said quietly. The realisation that Zyathri would soon be leaving him had not hit him as hard as it had just done. Erthos was getting very attached to his guardian.

With a steady sigh, Erthos quickly caught up with Zyathri. It didn't take the pair long to be outside of the ruins again and heading along the path into the Plaguelands. Zyathri had opted that they walk for part of their journey, whilst the weather was good.

"It will give you a chance to properly sight see" she had told him when he asked why they weren't riding on Nightmare. They both remained quiet up until they came to the entrance to the Plaguelands.

"How long will it take us do you think?" Erthos asked, looking to Zyathri. Zyathri looked into the Western Plaguelands and remained quiet for a moment, calculating how long their journey may take in her head.

"It will take a couple of days, at least" she said, looking over to Erthos who simply nodded and smiled. Zyathri looked at Erthos for a moment, her mind wondering._ I suppose being assigned to guard this warlock isn't so bad…_ she thought to herself._ I seem to have made a friend_. Zyathri smiled very faintly before walking into the Western Plaguelands.

As the two of them followed the well trodden path, Erthos took the time to practice his magic more. Holding up his hand, he focused on trying to create the shadow ball again. Twice as fast as before the ball formed, and also at twice the size. Smiling to himself, he closed his hand into a fist, causing the energy to fade away. Opening his hand again, he tries once more, again summoning the shadow ball. Letting out a chuckle this time, he got rid of the energy ball in the same manner as before.

As the second shadow ball vanishes, Erthos stumble to the side slightly, feeling the effects of constant use of magic taking its toll on his body. He shook his head slightly as he felt his strength quickly restore itself.

Erthos knew well that using magic would sap him of his strength, especially for long periods. He looked over to Zyathri, wondering how long she must have been using magic to be able to use some of the more powerful spells at her disposal without showing any signs of fatigue.

Catching Erthos look, and noticing the slightly drained look on his face, Zyathri brought the two of them to a stop. She briefly looked around, making sure there was nothing near by.

"Maybe we should stop for the moment" she said, looking to Erthos. "We do have a long walk ahead of us, and you look as if you could do with something to eat." Erthos nodded in response, his stomach growling at him slightly.

Zyathri let out a slight laugh at hearing Erthos' stomach, using her hand to try and hide her smile. Composing herself, Zyathri took out her sword and shield and led Erthos to a near by pool of water where a tree stood, offering moderate shelter. After making sure the water was ok to drink, she motioned for Erthos to sit down.

Erthos slowly sat down, looking at the area around him. Zyathri, meanwhile, reached into her bag and pulled out a reasonably sized bread roll which she tore in half, offering one piece to Erthos. Taking hold of it, Erthos had a large bite, happily chewing on it.

"Thank you" he said between mouthfuls. He stomach had been bothering him ever since their run in with the Abominations earlier in the day. He just hadn't thought to mention it as he didn't want to burden Zyathri any more than he needed.

Tearing a small piece off of her own half, Zyathri eats slowly, remaining cautious of the area around them. Whilst she looks around, her mind runs over the events of the last two days. Why don't I mind taking Erthos to the Argent Dawn..? She thought to herself, her brow furrowing slightly. After all, I was forced into this situation…

"You know…" Erthos suddenly said, breaking Zyathri's flow of thoughts. "I just want to say thank you for coming with me, Zyathri. Im glad you're here." Erthos smiled at Zyathri before he looked down the path they had come from, taking another bite out of his bread.

Zyathri looked at Erthos for a moment, thinking about what he had said. She soon finished her roll and stood up, stretching slightly. Sitting back down again and relaxing, Zyathri looked to Erthos.

"As I said before, if I returned to Silvermoon without you, Lor'themar would have my hide" she said with a slight smirk and then shrugging slightly.

"But that isn't the only reason I decided to come with you…" Zyathri added quietly. She doesn't continue on with her sentence, nor offer any explanation as to what she meant. Erthos looked at her, wondering if perhaps he should ask what she meant, but decided it was probably best if he didn't.

The two of them remained seated in silence for a short while, both of them just enjoying the peace and quiet that surrounded them. Erthos looked at the amulet in his hands, turning it over and over. Eventually, he stood up, stretching his legs and walking over to the nearby body of water.

Looking at his reflection in the still water, he raised a hand to his forehead, feeling around slightly. He frowned before looking over to Zyathri.

"Does it look like I have two lumps on my forehead?" he asked her, moving closer to her so that she could see better. Zyathri looked at Erthos with a slightly confused look on her face. Not entirely sure what she was looking for, Zyathri studied Erthos' forehead before shrugging slightly.

"I don't see anything…" she said quietly, shaking her head. "You're probably just imagining things." Zyathri let out a slight laugh and Erthos smiled before sitting down.

"You're probably right" he said, resting his head on his knees. Erthos watched Zyathri quietly as she remained seated, a gentle breeze blowing through her hair, the now slowly setting sun casting an orange glow across the area.

"Tell me about yourself…" Zyathri suddenly said, her voice soft. Erthos blinked slightly, surprised at the request, but also happy that Zyathri was interested. Now he only needed to think of something to tell.

"Err…there isn't much to say" he finally said, his mind not able to come up with anything. Zyathri turned her head slowly to look at him and laughed faintly. She shook her head before running a hand through her hair, pushing it back into place.

"Well, tell me about your family" Zyathri said, offering a place for Erthos to start. Erthos went silent for a moment, his face darkening as his mind pulled back on old memories.

"My family?" he said slowly, as if thinking what words to use, what words would best suit the situation. "I don't know anything about my family." Erthos closed his eyes and shook his head slightly.

"Im sorry…" Zyathri said quietly, noticing how it had affected Erthos. She reached out cautiously and placed a hand on top of his, lightly squeezing it. Erthos looked at the hand for a moment before looking at Zyathri.

"Its ok" he said with a slight smile. "You didn't know. It isn't that bad of a subject, really. No one knows my family, or at least if they do, they haven't said. I was raised by my teacher all of my life. I don't even have a surname." Erthos shrugged before letting out a slight laugh.

"My teacher has always been my father figure I suppose. He was the one who gave me my name, taught me right from wrong, and the one who got me interested in becoming a warlock." Erthos seemed to be smiling more as he spoke with Zyathri, who listened with a gentle smile of her own.

"Did you ever go looking for them?" she asked him, hoping that the topic of conversation didn't cause to much upset for Erthos.

"When I was younger I did." Erthos said, looking off into the distance. "I would spend my time looking through old record books for any clue. But I didn't really have anything to start on, so I didn't know what to look for. As time went on though, I just kind of stopped…" Erthos sighed and shrugged slightly, still smiling faintly. "Maybe I just wasn't wanted, you know? Or maybe they were wandering travellers who were killed by a pack of rabid wolves? Its just something I'm not meant to know."

Zyathri looked at Erthos, thinking upon his situation. She began to wish there was some way she could help the young warlock, but what? In terms of his parents, she would know less than he would. And who would know about a nameless baby? Zyathri's brain came to a sudden start as an idea flourished in her mind.

"You could try looking in the Silvermoon records" she said with a small smile. "All births are recorded in there. There are seers in Silvermoon who would be able to work out when exactly you were born, and we can use that information to locate your birth record."

Zyathri was pleased to see the change in Erthos' face at the mention of her idea. It was something that he had not considered doing himself. All he had used were the old records in what passed for the town hall where he had grown up. And he had not been sure of his date of birth, so there was a wide margin for error.

"I would like to try that" Erthos said, nodding with a rather large smile. Zyathri smiled in return and also nodded, giving Erthos' hand a slight squeeze. "What about you?" Erthos then asked, shifting slightly to get into a more comfortable position. "Do you have any family?"

Zyathri seemed to freeze for a moment, the smile fading from her lips. Slowly she opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. Instead, she suddenly leapt to her feet, her hand going to her sword.

"Do you hear that?" she asked, looking around, frowning. Erthos quickly stood up next to her, taking out his staff and also looking around.

"I think…I think I hear hooves?" he said slowly, casting a quick look to Zyathri. Zyathri nods, confirming that that was what she also had heard.

It soon became apparent that it was indeed a horse that the two of them had heard. Further down the path, deep within the Plaguelands, a fiery horse came charging towards them both. Zyathri recognised it as a Dreadsteed almost instantly, and drew out her sword.

On top of the Dreadsteed, a robed figure held tightly to the reigns, pulling the horse to stop just in front of the two blood elves. Erthos looked at the figure on the mount, their face covered by a hood that cast a deep shadow.

"Well, I never expected to run into anyone in the Plaguelands" came a female voice that seemed to be filled with a mocking tone. "And certainly not you" The last comment seemed to be directed more at Zyathri than it was to Erthos, who quickly looked over to her to see a rather menacing, or perhaps annoyed, look.

"Zhantara…" Zyathri said quietly, as if trying to keep herself calm.

There was a laugh from behind the hood before the mounted woman reached up and pulled it back. Thick brown hair dropped out of its hiding place, landing on the woman's shoulders and falling down her back. She looked at Zyathri with a smirk.

"Hello, sister."


	5. Chapter 4: The Paladin and the Warlock

_Chapter 4_

_The Paladin and the Warlock_

Erthos looked at the mounted woman with a surprised look plastered across his face. Zhantara, as Zyathri had called her, looked to him and gave him a sly smirk. She looked back to her sister, still smirking.

"Your boyfriend looks surprised" she said, letting out a chuckle, nodding her head slightly in Erthos' direction. Erthos felt his cheeks redden slightly, and Zyathri's grip on her sword tightened.

"Zhantara….what are you doing here?" Zyathri managed to say through clenched teeth. The woman remained quiet for a moment, still smirking as her gaze returned to Erthos, looking him up and down, as if scrutinizing him.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know..." she finally said, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. Erthos remained silent as he looked at Zhantara. His mind had told him it was for the best if he remained silent.

"Yes, actually, I would" Zyathri responded, irritation starting to show itself in not only her voice, but her face as well. Seeming to catch the hints of irritation and annoyance, Zhantara looked back to Zyathri.

"Very well then" she said, the same smirk still showing itself. "In truth, Lor'themar sent me, sister. He is getting impatient. What are you doing here in the Plaguelands? The Undercity is that way." Zhantara raised a hand and pointed down along the path they had not long come along.

Zyathri looked to where Zhantara was pointing before sighing slightly, sheathing her weapons. She looked back to her sister as she sat atop her mount.

"The amulet that we were asked to take to Sylvannas was identified as a Scourge item." Zyathri said, explaining to Zhantara what was happening. Erthos wasn't sure, but it looked as if Zhantara's smirk faltered slightly at the mention of the Scourge. "Sylvannas said we should take it to the Argent Dawn, so that is what we're doing."

The female remained quiet for a moment before simply nodding, as if what Zyathri had told her was acceptable. Turning her head slightly, she once again turned her attention to Erthos.

"And what's the matter with you, little boy?" Zhantara said with a devious grin. "Afraid of the big, bad female warlock?" It was obvious to Erthos that she was tormenting him, and it was working.

Erthos looked at the other warlock as her gaze bored into him. He took a step back, wondering what he should say in response. He could feel sweat starting to form on his forehead, which he promptly wiped away with the sleeve on his robe. His eyes glanced over to Zyathri who looked back at him, a look of apology seeming to be present in her eyes.

"No, not really." Erthos finally said, composing himself and taking a step towards Zhantara again, looking her straight in the eyes. The female warlock remained quiet for a moment before letting out a slight laugh, shaking her head.

"Whatever you say, little boy" she said in a tormenting tone of voice. She then returned her gaze to Zyathri and nodded softly.

"I will return to Silvermoon and inform Lor'themar of your situation…" she said. A tormenting grin seemed to spread across Zhantara's face as she looked at Zyathri. "Have fun with your little boyfriend." With a laugh, Zhantara pulled on the reins of her mount, causing it to speed back into the depths of the Plaguelands.

"He is not my…" Zyathri said as Zhantara rode off before sighing, shaking her head slightly. Erthos watched her quietly for a moment as she walked back over to the near by pool of water, sitting down beside its calm surface.

Closing his eyes, Erthos tried to block out the taunting words that Zhantara had spewed forth. Unfortunately, the more he tried to block them out, the louder they seemed to get. With a slight sigh he moved and sat down beside Zyathri.

"So…she is your sister?" he said, breaking the silence that was descending on them both. Zyathri nodded slightly in response, but made no move to say more. Getting the impression that talking about her sister was something that Zyathri didn't want to do, Erthos remained quiet.

It was some time before either of them made any motion to move. Zyathri stood up, straightening her hair slightly with her hands before looking down to Erthos, offering him a hand to stand up. Taking the hand, Erthos stood up beside her.

"We best get some rest" she said, looking over to where the sun was setting behind some hills in the distance, shadows starting to cast across the land, bringing about a slight chill. Erthos nodded in agreement.

"Where did you have in mind?" Erthos asked, looking around. It wasn't as if there was an Inn nearby where they could spend the night. Zyathri raised her hand and pointed to a small cave opening not to far from them.

"Assuming it's clear, we can stay in there for the night" she said. Without waiting for a response, Zyathri took out her sword and readied her shield, moving quickly to the cave as the sky above them rapidly grew darker.

"We need to hurry. Being caught in the Plaguelands at night will result in some very bad things happening" Zyathri said as she stood at the mouth of the cave. Checking over her shoulder to make sure Erthos was following her, and giving him a slight smile, she moved into the cave, prepared for anything.

After a few minutes of looking around the small cavern, Zyathri was happy that the cave was indeed empty and safe for them to stay in. She had even checked to make sure there hadn't been any signs of other creatures nesting in the cave. The last thing they wanted was something like a bear coming after them whilst they slept because they were in its own bed.

"When its morning, we will make haste for the Eastern Plaguelands" Zyathri said as started to rummaging in her bag around her waist. With a faint smile, she pulled out two, rather large looking covers. "Enchanted bags." She said with a smile as she saw the slightly surprised and confused look on Erthos' face.

"Fair enough" he said as he took one of the covers as Zyathri passed it to him. The two of them lay down in the cave, the only light now being provided coming from the moon outside as it made its path across the sky.

"Goodnight Zyathri" Erthos said quietly as he closed his eyes, shifting slightly as he tried to get comfortable on the cave floor.

"Goodnight…Erthos…" Zyathri said quietly as she looked at Erthos in the dark. She remained awake for a short while afterwards, watching Erthos quietly as he slept before she too fell into a deep sleep.

When Zyathri awoke, she was alone in the cave. A wave of panic went through her body as she looked to where Erthos had been laying last night, now only his cover remaining. As she stood up, the smell of cooked meat hit her and her stomach growled at her slightly.

Taking hold of her sword, she cautiously moved to the mouth of the cave. As her eyes adjusted to the bright sun outside, her worry vanished. Sitting next to a small fire was Erthos. Zyathri relaxed slightly, glad to see that he was ok, and put away her sword.

"Morning" she said as she moved over to Erthos, putting her hand to her mouth as she stifled a yawn. Erthos looked up at her as she stood beside him and offered her a smile. Sitting on flat rock, that rested on some smouldering wood and ash, next to Erthos was a small collection of well cooked meat with another pile of raw meat just beside it on a separate piece of rock.

"Where did you get the meat from?" Zyathri asked as she sat down next to Erthos. Even though the sun was starting to shine in the sky, Zyathri could tell it was still early. Large amounts of the area around them were covered in a fine mist, and there was a chill in the air. Thankfully, the small fire that Erthos seemed to have made was providing ample warmth.

"The wildlife in the area" Erthos said as he picked up a piece of raw meat and skewered it onto the end of a stick which he then held over the fire. "I used to go out on adventures a lot when I was younger with my friends. We learnt how to live off of the land by hunting our own food. Cooking is something I have always enjoyed."

Erthos smiled slightly as his eyes glazed over, his mind thinking back to those times in the past when he and his friends would camp out under the stars, simply enjoying the peace and quiet. Shaking his head slightly, he looked to Zyathri.

"Thankfully, this knife is sharp enough to skin and carve up anything I managed to get" he continued with a chuckle. "Here, try some." Reaching over to the stone, Erthos picked up a piece of well cooked meat and offered it to Zyathri. She took the meat in her hands and took a small bite out of it, noting that thanks to the fact the rock it was on was sitting on top of some smouldering wood, the meat was still warm.

"That's actually rather good" Zyathri said as she took another bite of the tender meat, savouring the taste. Erthos looked at Zyathri and let out a slight laugh.

"Don't sound too surprised" he said, shaking his head slightly as he made a quick check on the piece of meat he was cooking. Zyathri offered a smile as an apology and quickly finished the meat, slightly licking her lips afterwards.

"I don't suppose you have a drink to wash it down?" she said with a smirk, stretching out her arms in front of her for a moment. Erthos shook his head slightly before removing the now cooked meat from the stick.

"Im afraid not." He said passing Zyathri another piece of meat, which she readily took. "I found some fruits, but they didn't look to appealing or friendly, so I left them where they were." Picking up another piece of meat, Erthos took a bite and chewed happily.

"Good job I have some water then" Zyathri said as she took a break from eating the piece of meat she had to reach into her pouch and remove a bottle of purified water. "What will you be doing with the rest of the meat though?" she asked, pointing to the pile of still raw meat and the small pile of cooked meat.

Erthos looked at the two piles of meat as he finished munching his own piece. Once he had swallowed it, he reached over to a pile of leaves that were resting just to the side of them. The leaves looked to be rather large in size, and a very lavish green.

"These grow near to where I grew up" Erthos said as took one of the leaves and placed it on his lap. "They are brilliant at preserving food." To show Zyathri what he meant, Erthos scooped up the remaining raw meat and placed it on the large leaf before folding it over and over, then tying it in place with a long piece of vine.

"Impressive" Zyathri said with a slight nod, taking a sip from the water before passing it to Erthos who also took a sip._ Pleasant company and a good cook…_ Zyathri thought to herself as she looked at Erthos, smiling slightly. _He is just full of surprises…_

The two of them remained in front of the cave for a short while, continuing to eat some of the cooked meat. Once they had both had their fill, Erthos wrapped up the remaining meat and made sure it was sealed up. He passed them to Zyathri who happily placed them in her enchanted bag before going into the cave and collecting their two covers as well.

"We best get going" Zyathri said as she walked out of the cave. The mist had all but vanished now, the sun providing ample warmth across the area. The small fire had now died out and Erthos was brushing himself down and pushing his long hair into place.

"We just following the path?" Erthos asked as he looked down the winding road that lead into the Plaguelands. Zyathri took a few steps down the road and stopped, placing her hands on her hips.

"No, that would be foolish" she said, shaking her head and looking to Erthos. "The path would lead us right through Andorhal. We would get over run with Scourge before we even made it a foot into the town." Zyathri closed her eyes as she plotted their course in her mind.

_Too far south and we run into the Alliance at Uther's Tomb…_ Zyathri thought to herself, trying to depict the locations in her mind. _To far north, though, and we will run into Hearthglen and the Scarlet…_ Zyathri opened her eyes once more and let out a sigh. No matter what path they went along, they were at risk.

"We will travel past the south of Andorhal" she finally said, looking to Erthos who simply shrugged. Unlike Zyathri, who knew the layout of the area relatively well, Erthos had never been anywhere near the Western Plaguelands, so had no idea where anywhere was.

"We don't want to go to far south, though…" Zyathri continued, looking in the direction of Uther's Tomb. "The Alliance likes to go to the tomb of Uther the Lightbringer. If we stick to the wilds and avoid the path, though, we should be fine." Zyathri looked to Erthos to make sure he understood. Erthos offered a slight nod, showing that he was aware of the risks they were taking in travelling through the Plaguelands.

"Lets get moving whilst it's light, then" Erthos said, motioning for Zyathri to lead on by waving his arm slightly. Zyathri smiled slightly and nodded, walking along side the path with Erthos in tow.

Thankfully, even though they were in a territory that was known for its danger, their journey towards the south pass by Andorhal was eventless. As they walked, they spoke to each other, discussing Erthos' training and how he can better manage his energy. It was whilst they were in the middle of such a discussion that Zyathri brought them to a sudden stop.

"Someone's coming…" she whispered as she quickly dragged Erthos into hiding in some bushes. They both remained stock still as a group of Scourge came bounding down the path a short distance away from them, running away from Andorhal. Zyathri was so focused on the group on the path that it was to late that she realised Erthos and herself weren't alone.

"Give us your tasty flesh…." came a snarled remark from behind them; quickly followed by a loud cry as a Scourge undead lunged at Zyathri. Without thinking, Erthos rolled out of the way, grabbing Zyathri with him as he did, causing the Scourge to narrowly miss her and go tumbling through the bush.

Zyathri looked down at Erthos as they came to a stop with her lying on top of him. She blinked for a moment, a mixture of surprise and confusion on her face. Erthos looked back up at her, blushing slightly, hoping she didn't notice his reddening cheeks. As fast as she could, Zyathri was back on her feet, sword and shield at the ready as she jumped through the bush. On the other side, the Scourge was waiting for her, along with the previous group, all snarling and hissing.

"Erthos, get here now!" Zyathri called out as the Scourge started to slowly advance, cackling maniacally at the lone Blood Knight. Erthos was quickly at Zyathri's side, mentally preparing himself to let loose with his limited magic. At the sight of Erthos, the Scourge seemed to be repulsed slightly, causing Zyathri to raise an eyebrow slightly.

"Stay close to me…" Zyathri said quietly to Erthos. "And whatever you do, do not move out of the circle…" Erthos began to ask what circle but stopped short as Zyathri knelt down suddenly, placing her hand on the ground and letting holy energy arc outwards in a circle.

The Scourge that were to close let out a cry of pain as the holy energy twisted around their feet and up their legs, causing them to fall face first into the circle. Their cries reached outwards, echoing in the area around them as they writhed and tried to get out of the circle in vain. The remaining Scourge started to hiss and spit at Zyathri and Erthos as they started to walk around the circle, as if waiting.

"How long can you keep this up?" Erthos asked quietly, charging up a shadow ball in his hands.

"As long as I need…" Zyathri replied, frowning slightly as she watched the Scourge. Erthos glanced at her, already noticing that keeping the holy energy constantly channelled was starting to take a toll on her.

Without warning, one of the Scourge undead decided to lunge at Zyathri over the circle, trying to knock her out. Both Erthos and Zyathri let loose with their attacks, Zyathri's shield colliding with the undeads stomach, and Erthos' shadow ball sending it flying away to land with the other Scourge.

After a few more minutes of a stalemate the Scourge started to slowly walk away, occasionally turning back to look at the two blood elves. As soon as they were out of sight, Zyathri let out a sigh and the holy energy rapidly vanished. Bringing her hand to her head, Zyathri stumbled slightly, quickly being steadied by Erthos.

"Easy there, I've got you" he said as he held onto Zyathri. Glancing around, he led her off of the path and into a secluded area, trying to remain out of sight. Resting against a tree, Zyathri tried to focus.

"I will be ok…" she said quietly, her eyes closed, her head resting back against the tree. Erthos watched her quietly as she slowly drew in a breath and exhaled, feeling her energy slowly return to her.

"That was a close one" Erthos said, glancing over his shoulder to make sure there wasn't anyone sneaking up on them. Zyathri nodded slightly as she pushed away from the tree, still feeling slightly wobbly even with her strength returning to her.

"That's why we need to be careful" she said, also looking around to make sure the two of them were safe. "Come on, let's get moving. We don't want to stay in one place for to long. Not around here, at least." Erthos nodded in agreement and followed close behind Zyathri as they moved through the trees and bushes, getting ever closer to their destination.

Making sure to stay quiet and hidden, the two of them slowly moved around the outskirts of Andorhal, all the while keeping a vigilant eye for any signs of Scourge coming towards them.

It wasn't long before the ruined town was behind them and starting to get smaller. Even though they had made it past what was essentially the Scourge capital, Zyathri made sure to remind Erthos that there were still plenty of hazards they could run into.

"There are regular attacks along these paths" Zyathri said as the two of them walked slowly along the well beaten path. "The Scarlet to the north often come down and attack any Scourge they find. They wouldn't hesitate to attack us, either."

Erthos nodded slightly in agreement. He himself had only had the one encounter with the Scarlet, but it was not a pleasant one, even if he had managed to get his nice staff from the experience.

Whilst they walked, Erthos took the time to practise his magic more, once again working on his shadow bolt spell. The more he practiced the spell, the easier it was coming to him, and the less toll it took on his body.

"A tip for you" Zyathri said eventually, having been watching Erthos with slight interest. "Clear your mind and don't try to force the issue." Erthos looked to Zyathri as she gave him pointers. He shrugged slightly and cleared his mind, trying to forget where they were, forget about the amulet that rested in a small pouch inside his robes.

"If you're finding it hard, try to focus your mind on something pleasant" Zyathri offered as she looked at Erthos' face, noticing the slight struggle he was having in trying to clear his mind.

_Something pleasant?_ Erthos thought to himself as he looked at his hands. His mind tried to look for a pleasant thought to focus on. Various images went through his mind, an image of Charan and himself running through the woods, the feeling of when he had first managed to conjure a shadow bolt. Even an image of the fantastic Silvermoon City came up as an idea.

It was then that his mind settled on a choice. His mind flooded with the image of Zyathri, standing on the balcony in the inn, wearing her robe that gently swayed in the breeze, her face illuminated by the moon light. Erthos grasped that image in his mind and held his hand out in front of him.

The energy gathered in his hand as it normally would, only this time it was faster, and it wasn't just a deep purple like usual. Various flakes of green energy started to form and rotate around the energy ball. Erthos could feel the power emanating from the ball floating mere millimetres above his hand, could feel it coursing up his arm, whilst at the same time it started to drain his own energy.

Before any lasting damage was done, Erthos threw the energy ball away from himself, watching as it collided with a tree. The area where the tree was hit shattered into tiny splinters that rained over the immediate area, followed swiftly by the tree collapsing down onto the path. Erthos looked at the tree, then to Zyathri who looked a mixture of surprised and stunned.

Erthos opened his mouth to say something, but his legs promptly turned to jelly, causing him to fall backwards. Zyathri's arm shot out like lightning, grabbing hold of Erthos and catching him before he hit the ground. She looked at him with a slight smirk and shook her head.

"What on Azeroth did you think of?" she asked him as she helped Erthos sit down on the ground before offering him some water. Erthos took the water and took a huge gulp of it, feeling its cool contents run down his throat. He couldn't really tell her what he had chosen, could he?

"I thought about…Silvermoon" Erthos said quietly. He knew it wasn't the complete truth, but he didn't want to suffer the embarrassment and torment that could come from being honest with Zyathri.

"It must have been an impressive picture" Zyathri said, sitting down beside Erthos. "What you just achieved was a Chaos Bolt, something that is far above your current level of experience." Zyathri turned her head slightly and looked at Erthos, who was starting to look very tired. "Although it has certainly taken its toll on you."

Erthos smiled weakly and nodded. She was right. He felt like he had been awake for the last two days without any rest. Zyathri let out a faint laugh as she stood up and offered her hand to Erthos.

"It is probably best you don't go using that spell for a while" she said as Erthos took the offered hand, being pulled up to his feet. "Not until your body can handle it a bit better."

"I think your right" Erthos said, his legs still feeling somewhat weak. Once Zyathri was certain that Erthos could walk safely again, the two of them continued on walking towards the Eastern Plaguelands. Above them, the sun was bearing down, the immense heat cooking the two of them with no cool breeze to offer respite.

They often stopped as they slowly made their way, having to rest in the shade of rotten trees. Eventually, they came to a large lake, the surface shimmering softly in the blazing sun. They both stopped, looking at the cool water as it lapped against the ground.

"Do you think it's clean?" Erthos asked as he leant down next to the lake. Zyathri did the same and inspected the water. She stood back up again and stretched slightly.

"To drink? Definitely not" she said, shaking her head. "To bathe in, however, it will be acceptable." Erthos looked up at Zyathri with a slight shocked expression on his face, his cheeks turning red at the thought.

"Bathe?" he asked, trying his hardest not to stutter. Zyathri nodded as she moved to a nearby outcropping of rocks where she placed her swords and shield, followed by her shoulder guards and gloves.

"Yes, bathe" Zyathri said, looking over to Erthos and placing her hands on her hips. "I have been swimming in my own sweat for some time now. My armour seems to be brilliant at absorbing the heat. And im willing to bet you're not exactly cold in those robes, hmm?"

Erthos opened his mouth to respond but resigned himself to simply nodding. She was right. He also felt like he was swimming in his own sweat. The robe he was wearing was much too thick to be wearing in a location where the sun was trying its best to roast them alive.

"Good, now go and get us some fresh meat and some wood." Zyathri said, returning to removing her armour. "I think you have seen enough of my body, don't you?" Erthos once again blushed heavily. "You've certainly seen more than most…" Erthos didn't quite catch the last thing Zyathri said but simply nodded slightly, walking away in search of provisions.

Thankfully, the area around where they were was thick with trees, and offered ample protection from anyone looking to find them. It wasn't long before Erthos had gathered together enough wood that he could no longer carry anymore. As he was about to walk back into the open, he caught sight of Zyathri.

She stood at the edge of the lake, still wearing her Blood Knight tabard, but from what Erthos could tell, not much else. Her back was turned to him as she took a step forwards, dipping her foot into the cold water. From Erthos' view point, she seemed to relax as her foot submerged under the surface of the water.

Erthos watched on quietly as Zyathri placed both her feet in the water and simply stood there for a few moments, seeming to be just enjoying the feeling. It was then that she pulled her tabard of the top of her head and lazily threw it to the ground behind her. Erthos tried to look away from the site before him as he felt his cheeks burn furiously, watching as the shapely Zyathri slowly walked further into the water before vanishing under its surface.

After regaining his composure and feeling certain that his cheeks were no longer glowing, Erthos quickly walked back into the open, carrying the wood with him. Zyathri seemed to be swimming slowly in circles as he placed the wood down. If she saw him there, she made no move to show it, and Erthos quickly left the area to go looking for fresh food.

By time he came back with some meat and what looked to be edible berries, Zyathri was out of the water and wrapped in a thin robe that Erthos assumed she had taken from her enchanted bag. Her back was to him again, and she trying to dry her hair.

"How was the water?" Erthos managed to choke out as placed the meat on a flat rock near by. Zyathri turned and looked to Erthos, nodding slightly.

"It was nice" she said, placing her towel down on the ground so it could dry out in the sun. "Nice and cool. I feel much better for it." She looked at Erthos quietly for a moment, taking note of the beads of sweat that had formed on his brow, and how some of his long hair was sticking to his face. "Perhaps it best you take a quick wash as well?" she suggested.

Erthos looked to the water then to Zyathri. The idea was very tempting. He longed to feel something nice and cold instead of the sweltering heat he was currently feeling. He looked back at the water, a slightly uncertain look starting to show on his face that made Zyathri chuckle under her breath.

"If you're worried about me looking, just say, and I won't look" she said, moving over to Erthos and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Although…it would only be fair, seeing as you saw more of me in Silvermoon, hmm?"

Erthos closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands as Zyathri walked past him laughing slightly. She seemed to get a lot of enjoyment out of teasing him. With an exasperated sigh, he removed the belt from around his waist and placed it next to Zyathri's armour. He paused for a moment before pulling his robe over the top of his head, his skin instantly thankful for being able to breathe a bit more freely now.

Zyathri looked over to Erthos as he moved to the water. All that was left on him now was his trousers. She raised an eyebrow slightly as she looked him up and down, noting his thin physique, but also that he looked to be rather toned.

As quick as a flash, Erthos had removed his trousers and was straight in the water. _Spoilsport…_ Zyathri thought to herself with a smirk as she watched Erthos emerge from under the surface of the lake. From what she could tell, he looked to be enjoying the fresh water as much as she had.

By time Erthos was finished in the water, the sun had started to set and a cool breeze was finally making its way through their small encampment. Erthos made quick use of the towel once he was out, using it to cover himself, allowing the remaining sunlight to dry him off.

"What are we eating tonight then?" Zyathri asked Erthos, glancing over to him as he stretched himself out on the ground. Cooking was something that Zyathri had never quite grasped how to do. She had always had her meals prepared for her. She only knew enough to get by in a pinch.

"Well…" Erthos said, opening his eyes and looking over to Zyathri. "We have some meat, plus the meat in your bag, but I found some clean looking herbs that I can add to them for some extra flavour. Plus some nice looking berries." Erthos nodded to where he had placed the various provisions that he had managed to gather from before.

"I look forward to eating it then" Zyathri said with a nod, looking back out across the lake. Erthos also turned his gaze across the lake, noticing that a lot of the mist that had been floating around it earlier was now receding.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to a structure on an island on the far side of the lake. Zyathri looked to where he was pointing and nodded slightly with a faint smile.

"That is Scholomance" she said, sitting up and bringing her legs to her chest. "It is a school for those interested in magic." Erthos sat up, obviously interested in the school. Zyathri saw the interest peak in Erthos and smiled slightly.

"Unfortunately, the school has become corrupted since the arrival of the Scourge." She said quietly. Erthos' smile faded away and he let out a quiet "Oh", looking down at the ground. Noticing the sudden shift in Erthos mood, Zyathri reached out and placed a hand on his arm.

"I can take you there when we are done, if you would like?" she offered, giving Erthos a slight smile. "Although it is dangerous for those not prepared, I would have little trouble in taking you through those halls." The suggestion seemed to greatly cheer Erthos up who suddenly moved over and hugged Zyathri.

"Id like that" he said with a huge smile, still hugging a slightly stunned Zyathri. Regaining her composure, Zyathri gently patted Erthos on the back.

"Although…" she said slowly. "You might want to cover yourself with the towel again." Erthos suddenly froze as he became aware that in his sudden movement to hug Zyathri in thanks, the towel wrapped around his waist had come undone and dropped away.

His cheeks turning a heavy shade of red, he grasped the towel and quickly covered himself. Zyathri couldn't help but laugh as Erthos moved over to his robe and pulled it on over his head before letting the towel drop to the floor again.

Wanting to avoid any further embarrassment, Erthos busied himself with setting up the fire and preparing the food for them to eat. It didn't take him long to prepare the food, nor that long to have it fully cooked either. Soon, he and Zyathri were quietly eating their food around their fire, the sky above a vivid shade of crimson.

"Sorry about earlier" Erthos said quietly, finally breaking the silence between the two of them. Zyathri tried to suppress her smile as she glanced over to Erthos.

"Im not complaining" she said as she took a bite out of the seasoned meat, enjoy the flavour of the meat as she chewed on it slowly. Once again, Erthos found himself blushing as he hurriedly took a bite out of his own food.

Neither made another sound as they finished their food, both unsure of what to say. Soon, the sky above was pitch black, save for the twinkling of stars and the moon hanging quietly.

"I think its time we got some sleep" Zyathri finally said, looking to Erthos. "We might be able to make it into the Eastern Plaguelands tomorrow." Erthos nodded with a smile as Zyathri stood up and went to her bag, pulling out the large covers from before.

Erthos took one and set it down on the ground, lying down on top of it. Even with the cool breeze, the air was warm enough that he didn't need to use the cover for the time being.

Zyathri did the same, setting hers down a few feet from Erthos, placing her sword within arms reach, before lying down, staring up at the stars.

"Good night, Erthos" she said quietly, stifling a yawn. Erthos turned and looked to Zyathri, taking a moment to admire her features in the moonlight.

"Good night, Zyathri" he responded before closing his eyes, letting himself drift into a deep sleep.


	6. Chapter 5: Lights Hope Lost

_Chapter 5_

_Lights Hope Lost_

The following morning, Zyathri found herself waking up before Erthos, who had spent the entire night without the cover on himself. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she stood up and yawned slightly, walking over to the lake. Kneeling down at the shore line, Zyathri looked at her reflection for a moment before reaching in and splashing some water over her face.

Standing up, now feeling more awake, Zyathri walked past the smouldering remains of the camp fire and over to her armour. Within a few moments she was fully adorned in her blood knight armour again, the rising sun glinting off its polished surface.

Moving back over to the fire, Zyathri picked up some of the wood left over and started a new fire. As soon as the fire was going, she moved over to the still sleeping Erthos and gave him a light kick in the side, causing him to grumble slightly.

"Come on you, time to wake up" Zyathri said, giving his side another light tap. Begrudgingly, Erthos sat up, yawning as he did so. Through sleepy eyes, he looked at Zyathri, obviously still half asleep.

"Go splash some water on your face" Zyathri said, nodding to the lake. "It will help wake you up." Slowly rising to his feet, Erthos made his way to the lake and plunged his hands into the cold water. After holding them there for a few moments, he splashed some water over his face, instantly feeling it revitalise him.

"Guess I needed the rest" Erthos said as he turned around and walked back over to Zyathri, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Wanting something to eat?" Zyathri nodded with a smile. Her stomach was starting to growl at her, asking for food.

Erthos smiled in return and promptly went about preparing a meal for them. Once again, the sun was steadily making its way across the sky, much as it had the day before, however today it was accompanied by a cool breeze that blew across the Plaguelands.

After eating their fill, the two of them gathered together their things and put out the fire. It was time for them to make the next leg of their trip towards the Argent Dawn.

"This part shouldn't be too bad" Zyathri said, referring to the rest of the Western Plaguelands that they now had to pass through. Erthos nodded slightly as he looked across the lake to the school that was once again partially hidden by a mist that seemed to be forming out of nothing.

Zyathri looked at Erthos, noticing where he was looking. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze as she moved next to him.

"Don't worry" she said, looking out at Scholomance. "I said I would take you there, and I will, I promise." Erthos looked to Zyathri and smiled with a nod. He could tell that Zyathri was genuine about her promise to take him to the school, and it was something that made him happy.

After making sure they had gathered everything together, the two of them left their little enclosure and made their way to the path. Along the way, there were signs that there had been a struggle not to long ago, with several Scourge and Scarlet troops lying dead along the path.

"I hadn't heard anything" Erthos said, looking over to Zyathri who shrugged slightly. Erthos guessed she hadn't heard anything either. After they passed the battle site, Zyathri remained on constant guard, incase any of the troops survived the battle and were still prowling the area.

Erthos was thankful that it did indeed turn out that there was no one left patrolling the area. The two of them didn't run into any further trouble as they came up to the pass that led into the Eastern Plaguelands.

Instead, the entire journey had been spent with Erthos taking quick lessons and pointers from Zyathri in learning how to recognise what his current limits were. They were lessons he was thankful for. Zyathri herself seemed rather surprised at how quickly Erthos was grasping how to use his magic, noting that what he was learning to do in the space of a few hours would normally take others weeks if not months to do.

"It's remarkable, really" Zyathri said as she and Erthos took a quick break at the border between the Eastern and Western Plaguelands. "You do seem to just have this natural ability when it comes to the warlock arts. You pick things up quick and easily, and your body is fast to adapt to the strain being placed upon it."

Erthos was quite happy at Zyathri's judgment of his abilities. He was even more happy about it when he considered it had only been a few days ago that he had managed, after weeks of trying, to conjure his first shadow ball.

"Hopefully, then, I will continue to improve" he said as he took a bite out of a piece of meat before washing it down with some water.

"That shouldn't be too hard" Zyathri said as she finished up her own food. "There are people in Silvermoon who would be more than capable of training you if you so desired. I am sure they would be more than happy to take you on, considering how well you are developing."

Erthos nodded slightly as he finished up, brushing some crumbs off of his robe. Maybe he would try to find someone to teach him. He couldn't help but smile slightly at the thought. He had been making a large amount of plans to be doing when all of this was done. He was starting to wonder if he would have the time to do any of them.

"Come on then" Zyathri said standing up and holding out a hand to Erthos, who took it and was pulled up along side Zyathri. "Once we cross the bridge, we will be in the Eastern Plaguelands." Zyathri seemed to smile at that as the two of them began the trek along the bridge that covered the two areas.

Erthos noticed the slow shift in scenery as they crossed the well built bridge. Whilst the Western area of the Plaguelands had been showing signs of decay, there were still some areas that looked to be trying to fight past the plague effect. This wasn't so in the Eastern area. The land was completely decaying everywhere. Even the buildings that Erthos could see in the distance looked like they were rotting from the inside out.

"Have you been here before?" Erthos asked as they started to walk down a path further into the Plaguelands, hills rising up on either side of them. Erthos was starting to become very wary of the area around him. Everything was a subtle shade of brown or deep purple, and there were plenty of places that creatures could hide.

"I have been here once before, yes" Zyathri said as she stuck by Erthos' side. She closed her eyes for a brief moment as she thought back on when she had. "It was a while ago now. I had come here to prove myself as a Paladin, and to earn my Charger." _The land hasn't changed much…_ Zyathri thought to herself as she glanced around them, letting out a faint sigh.

Ahead of them, the rotten leaves of a bush started to rustle, causing both Erthos and Zyathri to come to a stop. Instinctively, Zyathri drew her sword, waiting with baited breath. Suddenly, after more rustling, a rather sickly looking rabbit ran from the bushes across the path, back into hiding on the other side. The two blood elves let out a slight sigh of relief before laughing lightly.

As they continued walking, Erthos became more and more aware of the subtle noises in the air around them. There was a lot of creaking and groaning that at times Erthos wasn't sure if it was the rotten trees, or a rotten corpse.

After a short distance, they passed by a tower where a small group of people were standing guard. Zyathri quickly explained that this was one of many outposts where members of the Argent Dawn stood guard to protect those that needed to travel through the Plaguelands.

Zyathri brought them both to a stop for a moment as they reached a cross section in the path. A nearby, mostly rotten sign, read "Darrowshire- South". Erthos looked down the path to the south and could see the remains of a small town, members of the Scourge occasionally walking into view. Zyathri cast a glance at the ruined town as well, letting out a quiet sigh and shaking her head as she did.

"Let's keep going" she said, moving onwards down the path. "It wont take us long to get to Light's Hope Chapel." As they progressed further down the path, they soon saw another tower looming in the distance, a short distance from another ruined town. If they followed the path they were on, Erthos noted, it would take them straight through the town, which was no doubt filled with Scourge.

"This way" Zyathri suddenly said as they came closer to the town. She suddenly walked off to the left, heading along a path that took them slightly northward. After crossing a bridge, Erthos understood the reason for the diversion. It completely bypassed the town and brought them closer to the second tower. Instead of walking past this tower, however, Zyathri led Erthos up the path to its base.

"Let's grab something to eat before we head into Lights Hope" she said as she nodded politely to the guards. The guards, in return, also nodded slightly. Erthos got the impression that it was a sign of respect between the two of them.

After procuring some provisions from the Argent Dawn guards stationed at the tower, in exchange for some funding, Erthos and Zyathri sat down and happily ate some food. Getting something to eat was not an idea that had crossed Erthos' mind as they had made their rather fast paced journey across the Eastern Plaguelands. Then again, Erthos wasn't entirely sure what time of day it was. Clouds were hanging thick in the sky to the point they blocked any view of the sun. For all he knew, it could be late into the evening.

As they two of them ate, Erthos found himself watching Zyathri. If she noticed him constantly glancing at her, she didn't say anything. Even though it had only been a few days that he had been with Zyathri, he felt he had grown rather close to her. He certainly found her attractive, that much he knew. He also greatly enjoyed her company.

"Would you like to go and get something to eat together sometime?" he suddenly found himself asking. He blinked multiple times as his brain registered what he had said, his cheeks turning a deep crimson colour. Zyathri slowly looked up at him from her own food.

"We have been eating together every day, have we not?" she said to him, a slight smirk on her face. Erthos stammered slightly, wishing he could just hide in a hole somewhere. _No…I have started this, so I might as well play it through…_ he thought to himself, taking a deep breath.

"N-no…I meant somewhere nice. Somewhere p...proper" Erthos tried to maintain eye contact with Zyathri who was still smirking. Bringing her hand to her mouth and looking down at her food, she let out a slight chuckle.

"I know what you meant" she said, looking back up to the still embarrassed Erthos. He looked at her quietly, waiting for her reply. She seemed to bite on her lip slightly, as if thinking things through before she finally responded.

"Very well" she said, nodding slightly and only just managing to suppress a laugh as Erthos' shoulders sagged in relief. "But I am deciding where we are going and what we eat." Erthos nodded happily in agreement. He was just overjoyed that she hadn't flat out rejected him.

"Come on then" she said with a smile, standing up and brushing herself down. "The sooner we get you to Lights Hope, the sooner you can treat me to a fancy cooked meal." She smirked as she saw Erthos blush again before the two of them left the company of the Argent at the tower and moved onwards down the road.

The duo remained silent as they walked, Zyathri on constant guard and Erthos just filled with happiness. As they turned a corner they both came to a stop and Zyathri pointed to a collection of buildings.

"There it is. Lights Hope Chapel" she said, looking to Erthos with a smile, who returned the smile in kind. Before the two of them could start moving towards their destination, there was a loud cry, followed by a Scourge lunging at them from the shadows.

Zyathri grabbed Erthos by the shoulder and threw him behind her, raising her shield just in time to block the attacking Scourge. It wasn't long before more undead came at them from the shadows, all trying to lunge and swipe at the two of them.

Erthos caught sight of Zyathri smirking as she looked at the growing numbers of undead stepping closer to them. He knew what was about to happen, but it was obvious the undead didn't. With one swift movement, she reached down and brushed her fingers across the ground, holy energy blazing outwards.

The undead that were unfortunate enough to be to close to the pair were instantly killed. Their comrades who were just outside of the affected area stopped short, unsure of what to do.

"This is newly consecrated ground!" Zyathri yelled at the undead, brandishing her sword at them. "Cross it if you dare." Erthos already knew that this wasn't something Zyathri could keep up forever, and he hoped the undead would soon leave. Thankfully, the sight of a large amount of their troops already laying dead around them made them leave quickly, scurrying back into the decaying bushes near by.

"You all right?" Zyathri asked Erthos as she stopped channelling the holy energy around them. Erthos nodded slightly as he looked around, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

"I am thanks to you" he said with a smile, looking to Zyathri. "A handy spell you have there." Zyathri smiled back and nodded.

"It is, yes, but as you know, it drains me quickly" she said as the two of them began walking towards Lights Hope Chapel. As they came closer, Zyathri suddenly stopped, feeling a chill in the air. All too late, she heard a cold voice shout out.

"Prepare to join the very things you detest, Blood Knight!" the voice yelled. Zyathri went to turn around but was stopped in her place as a sword was slammed into her back and through her chest, tearing through her armour as if it was made from paper. Erthos could only let out a cry of horror as blood spurted slightly out of Zyathri's mouth.

Behind her, a large Knight of the Scourge placed his boot against Zyathri's back and pushed her down onto the ground, pulling his sword out at the same time. Zyathri grunted in pain as she hit the ground, the Scourge Knight grinning gleefully as it looked down at her, Erthos finding himself frozen in position.

"Think you can destroy our kind and not be noticed?!" the dark knight spat. He looked to Erthos and snarled, brining up his sword to attack. Seeing what was about to happen, Zyathri drew her own sword, a pair of golden wings sprouting from her back.

"D-do you think I'd…go down that easily?" she said to the stunned dark knight. The knight prepared to attack Zyathri again but before he could even get close she raised her hands, letting lose a large amount of holy energy, causing the knight to scream out loudly before disintegrating, what few ashes remaining being scattered to the winds. Panting heavily, Zyathri fell to her knees, the wings on her back still glowing brightly.

Reality seemed to come flooding back to Erthos as Zyathri's knees hit the ground. He dashed towards her, taking hold of and trying to steady her. She coughed slightly, more blood dribbling down her chin as well as flowing through the gaping wound in her chest and back.

"Come on, we have to get going" Erthos said, tears starting to roll down his cheeks. He was clueless about what he was supposed to do. He wasn't the protector here, Zyathri was. He didn't know how to treat injuries, much less ones this severe. More tears started to form as Zyathri slowly looked at him.

"I…I am…s-sorry….Erthos…" she managed to get out, coughing more and wincing in pain as she did. "I…c-cannot take you f-further…" Raising her arm weakly, she motioned to Lights Hope Chapel, only a short distance away.

"Heh…I g-guess…that dinner will…will have to wait…" Zyathri said slowly, forcing a smile, her voice sounder weaker and weaker. Erthos shook his head slightly, his robes starting to become soaked with Zyathri's blood.

"No…Zyathri…" he managed to get out, shaking his head more. "You can't die…you can't…" Zyathri reached up and placed her hand against Erthos cheek, smiling weakly.

"G-go…" she whispered. Slowly, her arms fell to her side, the golden wings on her back fading away completely. Erthos held Zyathri close to him as he started to cry heavily, his body shaking as he did. He remained where he was, holding Zyathri close as he tried to regain control of his body.

After what felt like an eternity, Erthos took in a deep, raggedy breath and slowly stood up, scooping up Zyathri into his arms as he did, making sure he grabbed her shield and sword. He wasn't going to leave her out here for the Scourge to get her. _There may be someone who can help in Lights Hope…_he thought to himself as he looked at the buildings not to far away. With tears still stinging his eyes, he began slowly walking towards the Chapel.

As he got closer, he was quickly spotted by one of the Argent crusaders. Noticing that Erthos was carrying someone with him, the crusader sprinted out towards him.

"Oh by the light…" he said in Common, surprising Erthos slightly, and gasping at the sight of Zyathri. "Sir, come with me, we should get her looked at." The crusader gestured to the nearby Chapel before hurrying Erthos into it.

Erthos, his eyes still red, looked down at Zyathri in his arms. As he made his way to the Chapel, his blood soaked robes left a small trail of blood behind him.

"Everything's going to be ok Zyathri…" he whispered as they walked into the Chapel. The inside was very clean and pristine. The various priests who were dotted around the first chamber of the chapel looked over to Erthos and let out a gasp at seeing Zyathri. The crusader turned to Erthos and held out his arms.

"It'll be alright sir" the crusader said, nodding slightly. "Come, let me take her into the next room and we'll get her looked at. You look like you've been through a lot." The crusader remained where he was with his arms held out, not taking Zyathri without Erthos' permission.

"No…" Erthos said, shaking his head slightly, his entire body starting to feel numb, as he looked at the crusader. "I'll take her in." Erthos tried to sound strong willed as he looked at the crusader, but his eyes easily gave away what he was feeling. The crusader simply nodded and led Erthos into a small room that was as clean as the room before, only smaller, and with a table resting in the middle.

"Put her there" the crusader said softly, motioning to the table. "Can we get a priest in here?" A priest came running into the small room, staff in hand. She glanced at Erthos and Zyathri before nodding slightly, understanding the situation.

"Quickly boy, put her on the table and let me have a look at her" the priest said as she rolled up her sleeves. Hesitating slightly, Erthos placed Zyathri down on the table, but kept hold of one of her hands.

"What are you going to do?" Erthos asked quietly, looking to the priest, hoping that they could help Zyathri in some way.

"I'm going to see if I can heal her" the priest said quietly as she removed the chest armour from Zyathri, revealing her blood stained tabard underneath. Holding her hand above the wound, the priest closed her eyes as a golden light appeared. She continued on for a few minutes, more light pouring out across the wound, but to no avail. "What wounded her?" she asked with a furrowed brow, looking to Erthos.

Erthos closed his eyes for a moment as he forced his mind to think back to the event from not even half an hour ago. In his mind, he saw the sight of Zyathri being run through with the sword, tears once again forming in his eyes. As he focused more, he saw the laughing face of the Scourge Knight who had caused all of the trouble.

"She was….she was protecting me…" Erthos managed to say, his voice quiet. "A Scourge Knight, I think… he came out and impaled her in the back…" Erthos looked at Zyathri and reached out, gently brushing a piece of hair from her face, smiling faintly as he looked at her beautiful face, but with more tears welling up in his eyes..

"A Scourge Knight?" the priest repeated, looking at Erthos quietly for a moment. "That explains the situation. I am afraid the young woman here is infected by the scourge plague. Im afraid there is nothing we can do. She's gone… I'm sorry…" The priest said softly, placing a gentle hand on Erthos' shoulder before leaving the room, the crusader in tow.

Erthos fell to his knees as the words sank in that there was nothing that could be done. Resting his head lightly on Zyathri's stomach, he let his tears flow freely. So lost in his sadness, Erthos didn't notice a dwarf enter the room, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Was she family or something, laddy?" he asked in Common, which looked to be the preferred tongue of the Argent, before looking at Zyathri. Erthos didn't reply, simply glancing at the dwarf then closing his eyes. The dwarf looked at Erthos for a moment before speaking again, in what Erthos assumed was his soft voice. "What's your name, lad?"

Erthos slowly opened his eyes again, looking at the dwarf. Rubbing his eyes slightly, he regarded the dwarf who was obviously trying to comfort him.

"My name is Erthos" he said quietly, turning his attention back to the still form of Zyathri.

"Erthos, ay?" the dwarf said, nodding slightly. "Nice to meet yeh, Erthos. You can call me Magnill. So, like I said lad, was she family?"

"No…" Erthos replied, shaking his head slightly. "No, she wasn't family… She was a Blood Knight from Silvermoon, and she was my guardian on my travels. She protected me from harm…we…I like to think…that we…." Erthos choked slightly as he thought about the plans that they had made after his sudden invitation to dinner. Magnill seemed to understand what was happening and gently patted Erthos on the back.

"Aye, lad. I can see your cut up about what's happened" he said as Erthos' cheeks were stained by rolling tears once more. "Don't worry about funeral preparations for the lass. The Blood Knights are a respected bunch round these parts. I'll make sure she is given a proper burial." Magnill stood quiet for a few moments before he spoke again. "I'll give you some time to say your farewells."

After giving Erthos another pat on the back, Magnill left the room quietly, leaving Erthos alone with Zyathri. He remained quiet for a short while before reaching out and lightly stroking Zyathri's cheek.

"Zyathri…I…" he tried to say, trying to hold back the tears. "Im sorry…this is all my fault…if I hadn't worn that stupid amulet…we might not have had to come here…" Erthos paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath and holding it in a bid to stay calm. "I wish you were still here…" he whispered quietly. "I don't want to be alone…please come back…" Erthos went silent, tears rolling down his cheeks, not sure what to say. Instead, he scooped Zyathri up into his arms, holding her close to him.

After what felt like an eternity, Erthos gently placed Zyathri back on the table, folding her arms over her chest, resting her shield and sword on top of her. Leaning in, he gently kissed Zyathri on her forehead before turning and walking out of the room slowly.

"I'll miss you…" he whispered as he left. Closing the door behind him, he exited the room before heading towards Magnill who was talking with the priest who had tried to heal Zyathri. Reaching into his blood stained pouch, he pulled out the amulet, the sole reason they had travelled to Lights Hope Chapel in the first place.

"I need to find someone who can help me with this…" Erthos said quietly, his throat and eyes sore from the tears he had shed. The priest reached out and took hold of the amulet, studying it for a moment as Magnill walked off and spoke with another crusader.

"I'll have it purified for you. It might take some time, about a week or so. I can feel the scourge energy running in it" the priest said, looking to Erthos. "I hope you didn't wear it" she added afterwards.

Erthos, however, was distracted. Magnill and the crusader had gone into the room holding Zyathri. They soon came back out, the crusader carrying Zyathri in his arms as Magnill gave the orders to have the fallen Blood Knight buried with dignity and honour.

"Yeah…that's fine" Erthos said absent mindedly, not quite hearing the second part of what the priest had said. He looked back to the priest suddenly. "Do you have somewhere that I can get changed and clean myself?" he asked, looking down at his blood soaked robes, trying not to think too much on whose blood it was.

"Yes, come with me" the priest said, motioning that Erthos should follow her. She led him out of the Chapel and into another building before showing him to a room where some fresh clothes were already laid out, along with a washing basin and a mirror.

Erthos thanked the priest as she left the room. With a quiet sigh he removed his bloody robe and threw it in the corner, wanting to forget about it. He moved over to the basin and looked at his haggard reflection. With another sigh, he took hold of the cloth and, after wetting it, went about the process of cleaning himself.


	7. Chapter 6: The Realm of the Scourge

_Chapter 6_

_The Realm of the Scourge_

***** 1 Month Later *****

Erthos looked out of the window of the room he was in, the sun glowing down on Lights Hope Chapel. He smiled slightly, feeling the warmth of the sun on his bare skin, coupled with the gentle breeze that occasionally wafted through the open window. Turning around, he looked at the room that had become his home over the last month.

It was nothing extravagant. All that was in the room was a simple bed on which his robes for the day were placed. Opposite the bed was a small set of drawers standing next to a large wardrobe which housed other items of clothing for Erthos. Leaning against the wardrobe was his trusty staff.

Next to the window, placed underneath a mirror, was a wash basin for Erthos' private use. Glancing at the basin, Erthos' eyes moved to the two items that were hanging on the wall beside it: Zyathri's sword and shield. Erthos had made the decision in the end to keep the sword and shield in his room, to serve as a reminder of what he had lost, and of what he had cherished.

Turning away from the sword and shield with a slight sigh, Erthos moved over to the bed and picked up the robes that were laying there for him. Unlike his previous robes, these ones were made of a much thinner material, and easier for him to move around in. They were also black in colour, done so at Erthos' personal request.

After putting on his robe, enjoying the gentle feel of its fabric against his skin, Erthos picked up his staff and its holder, putting the holder over his shoulder and making sure it was in place before sliding the staff in place so that it was hanging from his back. Picking up his belt with the knife attached, Erthos put that around his waist before heading out of the door after taking one last quick look about the room.

Much had happened in the month that Erthos had been with the Argent. The first week he had spent trying to overcome his upset and anguish. It was due to the intervention of Magnill and another Argent Crusader called Darius that he managed to get out of it. The two of them helped Erthos with his grief, comforting him, as well as setting up quite a respectable funeral service for Zyathri. Their help hadn't stopped there.

Magnill, a highly trained paladin, helped Erthos hone his fighting style with his staff and dagger. In the beginning, Erthos had been hopeless at the task. The dwarf had been able to deal with anything Erthos did with ease. As their lessons went on, though, Erthos improved, learning to dodge and weave the attacks that Magnill sent his way. Erthos didn't have the physical strength that Magnill or Zyathri had, but he had the agility to move out the way and make quick attacks, something that Magnill helped Erthos improve upon.

It wasn't long before Magnill declared Erthos fit to fight against a trained opponent. Although he wouldn't be able to ever beat them straight up, he had the necessary skill to outlast them in a drawn out fight. That was assuming, of course, Erthos didn't get hit first.

Darius, on the other hand, helped train Erthos with his magic powers. Like Erthos, Darius was a warlock, but unlike Erthos, Darius was extremely well versed in his chosen school of magic. After spending the morning doing physically exhausting training with Magnill, Erthos enjoyed the relaxing start to the sessions with Darius.

He taught Erthos how to reach his limits without causing harm to himself. He taught him how to summon demons to fight by his side, or how to draw energy from things he was fighting to strengthen himself. Along side his shadow bolt, Erthos now knew how to conjure fire that he could use against enemies to burn them where they stood. The thing that Erthos liked most, however, was when Darius had taught him how to summon a Dreadsteed.

Having been surprised and happy with how quickly Erthos had been learning what Darius was teaching him, Darius had decided to take Erthos on an excursion to the ruins of Corin's Crossing. It was there that Darius summoned an untamed Dreadsteed from the remains of various horses that had resided there before. It had taken Erthos almost an hour to tame the horse and merge its mind with his own, forming an unbreakable bond between the two. He had been quite happy to ride back into the Chapel that day.

Moving past some Crusader's, who nodded politely to Erthos as he walked by, Erthos turned his attention to the other task he would do each day. Reaching out, he placed his hand on a metal gate and pulled it open, walking into a well kept graveyard. All around him, tombstones rested, some with flowers standing next to them, others lying bare. Erthos came to a stop in front of one and looked down at it, smiling faintly.

"Heya Zyathri…" he said quietly, looking at the grave marker, emblazoned with Zyathri's name and the mark of the Blood Knights. "How are you doing? I'm coming along with my training. Darius has been teaching me how to cause fire to rain down from the sky…"

Erthos went quiet for a moment as he looked at the gravestone before he sat down in front of it. He remained there for a short while, just talking to the gravestone, telling Zyathri how his training was going, what the weather was like, anything that he could think of. As he spoke, a bell rang gently near by, signalling that it was time for Erthos to go and eat.

"Time for me to be off" Erthos said as he stood up, stretching his legs slightly. He started to head back before stopping and looking back to the gravestone. He stared at the gravestone for what seemed like an age, no movement happening around him, save for his hair being pushed around slightly by a gentle breeze. "I miss you…" he finally whispered quietly before turning on his heel and heading away.

Erthos entered the hall where the food was being served, and his nose was instantly hit by the smell of a fresh roast. His stomach growled in approval as he sat down next to Magnill and Darius who were already tucking into their food.

"So, Erthos!" Magnill said as Erthos took a bite out of the roast beef that was sitting on his plate. "Have yeh given any more thought to what I suggested earlier? You know, joining up with the Argent?" Erthos looked at the small dwarf as he spoke, his thick, long orange hair and beard obscuring most of his face.

"I'm still not sure" Erthos said after swallowing his food. He opened his mouth to continue but was stopped by Darius who had just finished taking a sip from his drink.

"You know, you would be more than welcome" he said in his usual deep, yet charismatic voice. Erthos looked to his human teacher who was pushing a piece of his black, mid length, slicked back hair back into its proper place. Although Erthos had had a decent understanding of the Common language, it had taken some getting used to on his part to constantly use it. It was one of the rules of staying around the Argent, that Common be used by everyone. It meant that everyone could understand each other at all times.

"You certainly have the skill, lad" piped up Magnill as he quite happily downed his tankard of beer. "We have all seen yer skill in both combat and magic. You'd do us proud!" With a beaming smile, Magnill took a huge bite out of his meat and chewed on it rather happily.

Joining the Argent Dawn had been something that Magnill had suggested to Erthos a few days ago. Erthos had been unsure and simply said he would think about it. When he had told Darius, he had been all for it as well. Erthos was tempted to accept the offer, to see if he would be able to join. Although he still had a mission to do with regards to the amulet, no one had come looking for either him or Zyathri in the month he had been with the Argent. He also didn't want to leave the place where Zyathri was now buried.

Both Magnill and Darius could see the glazed over look that was now forming on Erthos' face and left him to his thoughts. It was one they had both seen before when the young warlock was trying to work something out in his head. This time, however, his thoughts were broken anyway. The three men turned their heads to the entrance of the dining area as one of the wooden doors burst open.

A Crusader came sprinting up to the table they were sat at and stopped next to them, his face as white as a sheet. He gasped for breath as he stood there with Darius and Magnill looking at him with raised eyebrows. Erthos looked at the man with a large dose of confusion, as did a lot of the others in the dining area.

"Erthos…" the Crusader finally managed to get out. "You need to come quick, to the graveyard." Erthos looked at the Crusader, more confusion swelling in his mind, along with twinges of panic. _Why would I need to get to the graveyard?_ He thought to himself as the Crusader looked to his to companions. "Magnill, Darius, it would be best if you came too."

With a nod the three of them got up from the table, Magnill grabbing one last bite from his food, and followed the Crusader out of the hall to the graveyard. When they reached the graveyard, Erthos understood the Crusaders urgency. The colour rapidly faded from Erthos' already pale face as he looked at the site before him. Where Zyathri's grave had once been, there was now only a large hole present, the tombstone in pieces scattered around. Spinning around, Erthos looked at the Crusader.

"What happened?" he demanded, advancing on the Crusader as anger swelled up inside him, quickly replacing the confusion that had occupied the space only moments before. _How dare someone defile her grave!_ Erthos thought to himself, his body fuelled with rage. Magnill and Darius quickly grabbed hold of Erthos as the Crusader backed away, looking at him in fear. They had seen Erthos lash out once before already, whilst he was grieving. In a moment of anger against the world, he had conjured a chaos bolt fuelled by his negative emotions which promptly destroyed a large chunk of his room.

"I…I came over here to simply tend to the plants!" the Crusader said, stammering slightly as his face now turned a ghostly pale. "When I got here I saw…I saw a man lifting your friends remains out of the ground… he….he took her with him…on the back of his mount. He took her and went off into the distance." The Crusader raised his arm and pointed in the direction that the man had gone, his hand shaking as he did so.

As Erthos listened, his rage lessened, as did the grip of Magnill and Darius on his arms. When the Crusader had finished, Erthos let out a slight cry and fell to his knees, looking back to where Zyathri had been buried. Beside him Magnill was talking with Darius, arranging for members of the Argent to start scouring the area. As they spoke, everything surrounding Erthos seemed to fade out, no noise made its way to his ears, and everything just seemed to be dark.

Deep inside of himself, though, Erthos felt something new growing, replacing the despair that had tried to envelope his heart. This new found feeling, a mixture of rage and courage boiled to the surface and Erthos jumped to his feet, running out of the graveyard, leaving both Magnill and Darius behind, both with very confused expressions on their faces. Erthos ran into his room, quickly reaching into one of his drawers. Erthos pulled out two small bags that he attached to his belt in a hurry, only taking a couple of seconds to make sure they were firmly in place. Once they were secure he ran back outside before heading to the Chapel.

Moving through the large doorway, Erthos made his way to where a priest stood near by, talking to a fellow Argent member. Upon seeing Erthos, the priest smiled and nodded politely.

"Greetings Erthos" she said, smiling at the other Argent member as he walked away to give Erthos and the priest some privacy. "What can I do for you today?"

"The amulet, is it ready?" Erthos asked, trying to keep his voice steady as he did. Cleansing the amulet had been proving quite a difficult task for the priests to do. The strength of the corruption had been much more than previously thought, and had taken the combined effort of three of the priests to try and cleanse it so far.

"Yes, it has been purified and is now wearable" the priest said as she reached into her robe and held out the amulet. Erthos looked at the amulet for a moment, watching slowly rotate as it hung from its chain. The amulet was the item responsible for Erthos first meeting Zyathri, something he was eternally thankful for, but at the same time, if it wasn't for the amulet, she would still be alive. With a slight sigh, Erthos took it and promptly placed it around his neck, feeling the familiar surge of magical energy run through him.

"I heard about what happened in the graveyard" the priest suddenly said, reaching out and placing a hand on Erthos' arm. Before Erthos could ask how she already knew, she let out a faint chuckle. "Word travels fast here. But it would not be safe for you to go out there, not if there are Scourge present."

"I have to go" Erthos said, shaking his head slightly. "They have taken Zyathri's body, and I need to find it. I have already wasted too much time..." Before the priest could offer any more words of argument, Erthos had sped out of the Chapel doors and was heading towards the graveyard again. Looking around, Erthos watched as various members of the Argent ran around as the news made it from person to person. The odds were on, Erthos thought to himself as he approached the graveyard,that the Argent were more worried about the security breach than who had been taken.

Walking into the graveyard, Erthos walked past a couple of Argent members who seemed to be standing guard, both of whom gave him a polite nod. Magnill and Darius had already gone off to do something else. _Good.. _Erthos thought to himself as he approached the hole that was Zyathri's grave. He looked at the hole for a moment, looking at the hoof prints left in the dirt, the slight trail of decaying ground that now ran from the disturbed grave out into the Plaguelands.

"Im coming, Zyathri…" Erthos whispered to himself as reached down and placed his hand flat on the ground. With his eyes closed, Erthos began chanting under his breath, a large, glowing, purple circle forming underneath him. Behind him, the two Argent members turned to look at what was happening, neither of them sure what to expect. After a few seconds, Erthos stepped back, allowing the summoning ritual to finish. Seeming to burst out of the ground with a spit of fire, Erthos' Dreadsteed appeared, shaking its head slightly, both the Argent guards jumping back with a surprised yelp.

Erthos looked at his mount for a moment, studying it. It was no where near as regal as Nightmare was, and couldn't run as fast, but it was still a good one, none the less. Its skin was a dark brown, its tail and mane seeming to be made from fire. With one swift motion, Erthos climbed onto the saddle that rested upon his mounts back and gave the reigns a slight tug, urging his mount onwards towards Zyathri, leaving the two confused guards behind.

As Erthos made his way along the rotten path, a set of eyes started watched him with interest. From the shadows, a woman atop a horse slowly stepped out, watching the young warlock ride down the path. Patting her mount on the side, she charged after him, feeling herself drawn to the light energy that seemed to emanate from him. Erthos quickly became aware that he was being followed and pulled his mount to a stop. With a frown, he jumped down from his horse, taking his staff out of its holder, as well as reaching into one of his bags and pulling out a small pink gem that he held in his fist.

"Show yourself!" he called out, preparing himself for the arrival of what he expected to be members of the Scourge undead. Whilst he waited, Erthos chanted under his breath, the gem enclosed in his fist starting to glow as he channelled his magical energies. From down the road, the female rider came sprinting, her mount looking ferocious as it bore down on Erthos. As it and its rider came closer, Erthos could feel a sense of dread wash over the area, sending a deep chill down his spine and through his body. The woman and her horse ran straight past Erthos before circling him twice, as if studying him.

"A young warlock…How amusing" she said, her voice sounding icy cold. Erthos looked up at her as she brought her horse to a stop. Her hair was almost pure white and about mid length. She also seemed to be of blood elf descent, except her skin was almost as pale as her hair. And her eyes, her eyes were glowing a deep blue.

"You will give me the information I require" the rider continued, her voice filled with malice. "…Or I shall cut you in half with my sword!" Erthos could tell she was being serious with her threat as he felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face. "I seek an amulet. It belongs to my master…is it within the hands of the Dawn?"

"What amulet?" Erthos asked, feigning ignorance as he kept his eyes on the rider. He was not about to give up the item that Zyathri and he had been charged with delivering, the item that had resulted in Zyathri's death. Trying to act natural, Erthos moved his free hand behind his back, letting the now glowing gem drop behind him to the ground before quickly taking a step back to cover it up. Unfortunately, as convincing as Erthos thought he had been, the rider didn't seem to believe him. She glared at the warlock for a moment before closing her eyes.

"You know of the amulet I speak of" she said quietly, her eyes still closed, a feeling of death seeming to linger on her words. Jumping down from the back of her mount, she pulled her large two handed weapon from its holder on her back and brandished it at Erthos "Tell me what you know, mortal, or I will kill you."

Erthos gulped slightly as he looked down the length of the blade, noticing the runes that were running down it pulsing in a blue, green and red light. Steadying his nerves, Erthos gripped his staff and used it to slowly push the large blade to one side.

"I don't know what it is that you're on about" he said sternly, trying to take control of the situation. Throwing Erthos a glare, the woman let her sword lower slightly before reaching out and grabbing him by the collar of his robe. As soon as she took hold of Erthos' robe, however, she let out a cry of pain and let him go, pulling her hand back and looking at it as the Scourge energy inside her healed her injured hand.

"What are you wearing?!" she said quietly, anger easily noticeable in her voice, looking at Erthos. Even though her voice was quiet, Erthos could see the hatred and anger in her eyes, could feel it burrow into him. "Light energy…it burned me…" She continued, studying the warlock, not catching the slightly surprised look on his own face as she tried to see anything that could have cause such a reaction.

"I have nothing out of the ordinary" Erthos said quietly as he adjusted his robes, frowning slightly at the act of being grabbed, but finding his hands starting to shake as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He looked at the rider again as his mind went to the gem that he had hidden, wondering how much longer it would be before it kicked in.

"What's your name?" Erthos suddenly asked, trying to stall for more time. The rider looked at Erthos for a moment, one of her eyebrows raised, before slowly turning around, still holding onto her large sword tightly.

"My name…" she began to say before pausing. She looked down and let out a slight sigh as she thought back.

_"Welcome, Death knight" A voice had said to her, its chilling presence causing her to shiver slightly. "I see you have found your way here…" She had looked up at the origin of the voice, but only saw a large shadow, illuminated from behind._

_"Tell me, what is your name?" the dark, cold voice had whispered. Before she had had a chance to respond, the voice had cut her off again. "Actually, never mind. Your former name means nothing. Your new name…is Rastuazi."_

_She had bowed slightly, as if on instinct, as she was told her name._

_"Yes, my lord…" she responded, her voice sounding hoarse, as if she hadn't used it in a long time. The shadow continued to talk to her as it towered over here, giving her instructions._

_"Rastuazi, one of our artefacts has fallen into the wrong hands…" it said, almost hissing slightly. "An amulet. I want you to find it and kill its bearer…" the dark voiced whispered. "Do you understand?"_

_"Yes, my lord" she had said again, bowing once more before she left her masters presence. As soon as she had been outside, she had summoned her faithful Deathcharger and was soon on the path to finding the amulet._

Opening her eyes again, the rider gripped her sword even tighter, feeling her anger boil up inside her.

"My name, is Rastuazi…" she said slowly, her back still to Erthos, although he could almost feel the anger aching to be let out of her. "…and I will be the death of you, warlock!" The sudden shout surprised Erthos, who was not prepared as Rastuazi span around, swinging her sword so as to cleave him in two.

Just before the blade got close to Erthos, however, there was a flash of light that surrounded the warlock and stopped the blade in its place before sending the attacking Death Knight stumbling backwards. Both Erthos and Rastuazi looked at each other with a confused and puzzled look, neither knowing what had just happened.

"I should have cut you in half…" Rastuazi spat, venom in her voice. "Who…what are you?!" Erthos looked at the death knight for a moment, struggling to find the words to say anything. Inside his chest, he felt a new sense of confidence brewing up, urging him to take actions of his own.

"Guess that means you won't be killing me any time soon then, hmm?" he finally said, smirking slightly. He knew that now was not the time to start acting reckless, but he found himself unable to stop as he took a step closer to Rastuazi, still smirking. "Tell me…" he said slowly, pausing for a moment as he studied the female's face. "Have we met before?"

The question seemed to offend the Death Knight as she took a step away from Erthos, sheathing her sword again. She tilted her head to the side slightly, contemplating the warlock. She knew that it would be pointless to try and attack him again, a waste of her energy. If she was to kill the warlock, it would have to be via other methods.

"I can assure you…" she said in a rather cold tone. "…that had we met before, you would already be dead. Either by my hand, or that of my master." Looking at Erthos, Rastuazi quickly noticed the chain around his neck, causing her to scowl slightly as she looked him in the eye.

"You are wearing an amulet of some kind…" she said quietly, closing her eyes for a moment as she recalled the memory of her hand being burnt when she held the warlock by his collar. Erthos covered up the chain as he watched Rastuazi work things out in her mind. He knew that it wouldn't take her long to work out what had happened.

"The amulet…has holy energy…how…?" She paused for a moment and looked away. Erthos quickly worked out that she knew he had the amulet she was looking for. "The Argent Dawn…" she muttered to herself before shaking her head slightly. She knew that if it had been cleansed, then her mission was in vain, for she would not be able to hold such an amulet. With a sigh and shrug, she mounted onto the back of her Deathcharger before giving Erthos one last look.

Erthos, however, was quick to action as the Death Knight made her move to leave. He quickly moved up beside her, ready to take hold of her and stop her as behind him there was a purple flash. Chucking a quick glance behind him, Erthos saw the form of his Voidwalker appear from the gem he had hidden.

"I can't let you go just yet" Erthos said as he turned to look at Rastuazi again who was looking cautiously at the Voidwalker that now made its way to stand in front of the Deathcharger. "Someone has taken the body of my friend" Erthos continued, focusing his attention on the Death Knight, trying to keep control of his nerves. "A member of the Scourge was seen riding away from Lights Hope Chapel, and I think you have something to do with it."

Rastuazi turned her gaze to Erthos, seeming to look at him with a sorrowful gaze. From what Erthos could tell, her entire demeanour seemed to have shifted when she realised he had the amulet. He found it rather unsettling. All of the anger that had been present before hand now seemed to have vanished, replaced instead with something else.

"I have nothing to do with what you speak of" she said quietly, shaking her head slightly. "I have only just left the stronghold of my master. I cannot help you. I must return to my master, empty handed…" Rastuazi let out a quiet sigh and closed her eyes. Erthos looked at her for a moment, getting the distinct impression that she did not want to return. He slowly lowered his staff to his side, his own expression softening slightly. Letting out a slight sigh, Erthos rubbed the bridge of his nose before talking to Rastuazi.

"Why do you have to go back to your master?" he asked slowly, sliding his staff back into its holder. He knew he would have to choose his words wisely. Casting a quick look to the Voidwalker, Erthos nodded slightly, causing the summoned demon to back away slowly.

"I am, unfortunately, a part of the Scourge" Rastuazi said, her voice almost sound soft, but the coldness of it made it hard for Erthos to be sure. "But, I still have a mind of my own…for now." Rastuazi let out another, sorrowful sigh, as if she was upset about being part of the Scourge. Her hand moved to her head as she felt familiar thoughts and memories flow into her mind.

Erthos felt his arm raise itself to try and reach out and comfort her, but stopped himself short. He didn't know how far the effect of the amulet would spread. The last thing he wanted to do was to touch her and unleash pain on her.

"Are you ok?" Erthos suddenly found himself saying. Rastuazi looked at Erthos with a raised eyebrow, seeming just as surprised by Erthos' question as he was himself. _Why should he care?_ She thought to herself, shaking her head slightly.

"I am technically dead; do I look ok to you?" Rastuazi finally said, shrugging slightly. "If I do not return to my master, I will be hunted down and killed…again" she muttered to herself, only just loud enough that Erthos could hear. Erthos wondered what she meant as he watched her talk more to herself than anyone else. "But I'll be damned if I serve the Scourge once again…" she carried on, frowning as she did so. "I feel I should…protect…not kill. I do not want to be part of the Scourge…"

Rastuazi closed her eyes for a moment and fell silent. When she opened them again she looked at Erthos who was still stood there watching the Death Knight with extreme caution. He wasn't sure what to make of what he was seeing. He could almost feel the turmoil and confusion that the other blood elf was going through._ It could be a trap…_he thought to himself suddenly, his hand faltering slightly, trying to grab his staff.. _She could be luring me into a false sense of security…_

"That amulet…" Rastuazi said, seeming to finally be addressing Erthos fully whilst motioning to the chain around Erthos' neck. "They want it…so I'll make sure they don't get it…After what they did to me…" Rastuazi's voice was filled with hatred as she looked at Erthos, her eyes seeming to glow brighter.

"And…how do you plan on making sure they don't get it?" Erthos asked as he took a step back, placing a hand on his staff. He glanced over to the Voidwalker again before looking back to Rastuazi. _What if she plans on killing me and hiding the amulet away?_ He thought to himself as his heart started to beat wildly in his chest. His heart only beat faster when Rastuazi grinned at him.

"Well, I cannot touch it…" she said slowly, her voice sounding as cold as ever. "You, however, can. I will protect you from the Scourge." Rastuazi paused for a moment as she looked around quickly. "But I suggest you get moving from here. I don't think I could protect you from the whole lot of the Scourge in their own domain." The Death Knight went quiet again as a breeze blew through her silvery white hair, blowing it about her face slightly and obscuring it from Erthos' vision. She kept her gaze on the young warlock for a moment, as if she was in deep thought about something.

"You still need to recover your friends body, though, do you not? The Scourge more than likely took the body to their stronghold. I could lead you there…but it's your funeral, boy" Rastuazi's voice almost sounded like it was taunting Erthos as she let out a laugh, a rather large and demented grin forming on her lips.

Erthos was unsure of what to make of the situation. It had been hard enough for his brain to process that she wanted to watch over him, and now she wanted to help him get Zyathri's body back. His mind raced with ideas and solutions, of how he would find Zyathri's body, but each time, he found himself with the same conclusion: it would be quicker with Rastuazi's help.

"Very well then" Erthos said slowly as he walked over to his Dreadsteed, climbing up onto its back. "I don't care if it is my funeral. Zyathri protected me, and I cared deeply for her. I will find who took her body, and I will make them pay." Erthos looked at Rastuazi as he took hold of the reigns of his Dreadsteed. "Lead on."

Rastuazi found herself slightly surprised by how quickly Erthos had decided to go with her. But that wasn't what bothered her. At the mention of the name Zyathri, she had barely suppressed a shiver.

_Zyathri?_ She thought to herself, looking at Erthos as she shook the reigns of her own mount, spurning it on. _How did he know Zyathri..?_ Shrugging the thought off as best she could, she focused on leading the warlock to the Scourge base.

Erthos followed close behind the Death Knight as they made their way through the Plaguelands. Behind him, his Voidwalker managed to keep up, letting out the occasional groan as it did so. Erthos still wasn't sure what to make of the Death Knight, of Rastuazi. He was sure she was hiding something from him, but he couldn't work out what. For the time being, he decided, he would just have to keep an eye on her. For all he knew, this was all an act on her part and he was heading straight into a trap.

Neither of them spoke as they rode along the path, and no Scourge tried to attack them. Erthos could tell that the Scourge presence was getting stronger, the further they went. All along the pathway and hiding in the roten trees and bushes he could see Scourge zombies, watching him. None made a move to attack him, or the Death Knight, though. This strange behaviour only worsened his doubts about Rastuazi.

It wasn't long before the two of them were turning a corner and running up to a Scourge Ziggurat. Erthos looked at the structure and couldn't help but shiver slightly. He had seen drawings of them in some of the books he had read when he was training with his master. The Ziggurat looked even more imposing in person, now that he was approaching it, a Scourge stronghold that was not mistaken for any other structure.

Rastuazi looked back to Erthos as they came to a slow walk before stopping next to a ruined fence, all that was left of what used to be a nice farmhouse. She climbed off of her mount and motioned for Erthos to do the same. He climbed down next to her, looking around as he did. His Voidwalker was still with him, but he still had a feeling of dread inside him. Any moment now, Rastuazi could turn around and try attacking him again. He had no idea how long the amulet could protect him.

"You are looking worried" Rastuazi said with a slight smirk as she watched Erthos glance around. "You were the one who decided to do this, not I." Erthos threw Rastuazi a look of slight anger before sighing slightly. She was right. He had agreed to go on this little trek deep into the Scourge controlled area.

"Let's just get this over and done with, shall we?" he said, looking at the entrance to the Ziggurat. "I don't want to stay in this place any longer than I have to…" Rastuazi looked at Erthos with a sly grin as she pulled her sword out of its sheath.

Taking his staff out, Erthos followed Rastuazi as she made her way to the main entrance of the Ziggurat. As they approached, a group of Scourge started to move closer, but not yet attacking either of them. All of a sudden, the sound of a horn being blown echoed out from the Ziggurat, causing Erthos to place his hands to his ears and shut his eyes tight. Rastuazi, on the other hand, quickly brandished her weapon.

"You best know how to fight, boy" she called out as the Scourge suddenly charged forwards. Erthos opened his eyes in time to watch the Death Knight swing her sword round, cleaving one of the Scourge in two with ease. Regaining control of his fear, Erthos sent in his Voidwalker, who grabbed hold of the closest Scourge undead and threw them against a near by tree with a sickening thud, various bones in their body breaking.

"A little warning would have been nice…" Erthos mumbled to himself as he jumped out of the way of one of the Scourge soldiers, narrowly avoiding being slashed across the arm. Without pause, Erthos raised his hand and let lose a streak of fire that travelled across the ground and ignited the attacking soldier.

The undead started to pour in at them from all areas, lunging from trees, from bushes and from the Ziggurat itself. Rastuazi was slicing through them at a surprisingly fast rate, whilst Erthos did his best to blast them back with a mixture of the magic he had learnt.

"I can't keep this up forever" Erthos called out as he ducked under another sword swing, silently thanking Magnill for all the training he had given him. He was already starting to feel the draining effect of using his magic, however, and he didn't know how long it would be before it would affect his performance.

Rastuazi looked over to Erthos as she blocked a sword swing form a soldier before pushing them back with her plated boot. Something inside her was telling her to protect the young warlock at all costs and her mind agreed. With a yell, she easily cleared her way through the undead until she was standing back to back with Erthos.

"Cant do this alone, hmm?" she said in a condescending tone, taking down another undead. Erthos threw her a look from over his shoulder, but didn't say anything. Letting out a slight humph, Rastuazi turned her attention back to the Scourge. _This has gone on long enough…_ she thought to herself before sheathing her weapon.

Erthos stared at Rastuazi with an astonished look as she put her weapon away. He was about to ask her what she was playing at when she crouched down, placing her hands flat on the ground. Spiralling outwards from her hands at a rapid pace were a set of blood red runes that covered a large area around them. The Scourge that were caught in the area cried out in agony, before rapidly decomposing. Erthos watched with a mixture of horror and amazement as the Scourge tried in vain to get to them, all suffering the same fate. Soon, the attacking forces were either all dead, or running away.

"What was that?" Erthos asked, looking over to Rastuazi as his Voidwalker returned to his side, the remains of an undead enemy in its large hands. Rastuazi stood up and flicked some of her hair from her face, looking over to Erthos with a smirk.

"It is known as Death and Decay" she explained to Erthos, checking the area around them quickly, making sure they weren't about to be attacked. "It is similar to a paladin's Consecration, only with unholy energy." Erthos nodded slightly, to show he knew what she meant. He had seen Zyathri charge the floor with holy energy a few times, and he knew its devastating effects on those it was intended to harm.

"Come on" Rastuazi said, walking towards the Ziggurat. "My…former master might know where to find your friends body." She pulled out her sword and looked to Erthos with a smirk. "I say we go and persuade him to tell us."

"By we, I assume you mean you?" Erthos gulped as he looked at the Ziggurat, then Rastuazi. Although he had had a lot of training in the last month, the skirmish they were just in had been the first time he had been in real combat since then. Taking on a Scourge master would be a huge leap for him.

"Do you always let other people do your work for you?" Rastuazi asked in a slightly sarcastic tone, raising one of her eyebrows slightly. Erthos tried not to flinch at the comment, his mind thinking back to how Zyathri fought for and protected him.

"No, not always…" he mumbled, looking to Rastuazi with a slight glare as she walked into the Ziggurat. He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped as a chilling voice rang through the air around them, sending a shiver down to Erthos' core...


	8. Chapter 7: Fated Ends and New Beginings

_Chapter 7_

_Fated Ends and New Beginings_

"Hmm…hehehehe…Well done, Rastuazi. I see you have brought the bearer of the amulet with you…" the chilling voice said, sounding amused by Rastuazi's act of brining Erthos to their location.

Erthos himself remained frozen in place by the sound of the voice as Rastuazi seemed to remain relaxed. He threw a look over to her, wondering if she was going to do anything when the voice spoke again.

"He seems to trust you, Death Knight" the voice said, its dark undertones echoing around them. "Don't you find that odd? So trusting, you could lead him straight into a trap…"

As soon as the word trap was mentioned, Erthos felt a heat burn up inside him, coupled with rage. He jumped backwards, aiming his staff at Rastuazi.

"This was all a trap then!?" he exclaimed, looking at Rastuazi as hate filled his eyes. The end of Erthos' staff started to glow brightly as his Voidwalker moved in beside him, poised to attack. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known! It was all too convenient, a warrior, that seemed to hold a lot of power, just turning against their master at the drop of a hat! He had been played for a complete fool.

Rastuazi looked at Erthos with a somewhat neutral gaze before taking hold of her sword and using it to push his staff out of the way with large amounts of ease, shaking her head as she did so. She opened her mouth to speak, but, before she had a chance to say anything, the voice rang through the air again.

"Oh, this must be the young warlock…." The voice said, sounding full of merriment as Erthos continued to glare at Rastuazi. "Hehehe…would you really harm a friend of yours, boy?"

Erthos paused for a moment, the voices words sinking in as he looked at Rastuazi. He would hardly call the female a friend, considering she had led him into a trap, but there was something else, something hidden behind the words. The Death Knight, however, simply looked away from Erthos, looking down at the ground as if memories and thoughts flooded her mind.

"You found the one you were looking for" the voice continued, as if mocking him, letting out a loud cackle. "And you didn't even realise it! But you knew, didn't you Death Knight?" the voice said, now a whisper. "You remembered, but now you have to kill him…"

Erthos' eyes glazed over as he stared at Rastuazi, the realisation of what was being said dawning on him. He lowered his staff slowly as he felt tears start to form at the edge of his eyes.

"Zyathri…?" he said, his voice barely a whisper. Surely it wasn't true? What his mind was thinking couldn't be right, could it? His arms dropped to his sides as he felt his mouth go dry. He looked at the Blood Elf Death Knight, his eyes studying her in a new light. He tried to get a good look at her face, even though it was obscured by strands of her white hair, to try and match the features of Rastuazi with that of Zyathri.

Rastuazi suddenly looked over to Erthos, remaining silent as she did so, before shaking her head slightly and moving over to him. Erthos could feel the air grow colder and thinner as she approached, her boots crunching on the ground as it partially froze beneath them with each step.

"…Don't call me that…" she said quietly, her voice almost a hiss. "Zyathri died in your arms…I am Rastuazi now…I am nothing like the Blood Knight you met…" Before Erthos could respond, Rastuazi turned on her heel so that her back was to the young warlock, who found himself unsure of what to say. Never had he imagined this in the realm of possibilities when it came to finding Zyathri again.

"I order you, Death Knight!" came the chilling voice again, starting to sound impatient. "Kill him and bring the amulet to me!"

Erthos watched Rastuazi as she remained still in front of him, not moving. He was unsure of what was going to happen next, and certainly had no idea of what he was going to do.

Instead, he watched as Rastuazi seemed to tense up slightly, her hands balling into fists, her stance changing as if she was planting herself firmly on the spot.

"Do not think you can ignore my orders without consequence, slave!" the voice almost screeched. "Kill that warlock, and bring the amulet to me!" Erthos found himself trying to back away, a wall impeeding his progress, as he felt the hate forming in the command to the Death Knight. But, Rastuazi continued to hold her ground.

There was only silence in the room, save for Erthos' heavily beating heart. He wondered who would be the first to do anything. It was unlikely that he would be able to survive in a straight on fight against Rastuazi. In fact, he was almost certain that if he tried that, he would die. And he had no idea what the owner of the voice was capable of. Erthos' thoughts, along with the silence around them, was suddenly broken by Rastuazi.

"No…" she said quietly, her voice showing no signs of emotion or feeling. She seemed to square her shoulders back, taking on a defiant pose as she did so.

"What did you say?" the voice called out, seeming to sound both appalled and shocked by what Rastuazi had just said.

"I said no!"

Before Erthos was even sure what was happening, Rastuazi was brandishing her large sword with one hand whilst reaching out with the other. A dark energy lanced out from her hand and into the shadows of the room they were in.

From the shadows, Erthos heard a strangled cry just as Rastuazi yanked her hand back, the dark energy pulling what looked to be a cultist out of the shadows, sending them flying through the air towards the Death Knight.

As quick as a flash, Rastuazi had brandished her sword in both hands and blocked the cultists path with its pointed end, causing the unfortunate man to become impaled on the blade with a sickening sound, a sound that caused Erthos' stomach to churn slightly.

"You will pay for what you did to me" Rastuazi snarled at the man as he let out a gurgled gasp of both surprise and pain. Rastuazi stood over the man, her sword impaled in his chest as he knelt on the ground, staring at the protruding blade in desbelief. Gripping the blade firmly with one hand and placing a boot on the cultist, the Death Knight pulled her blade from his chest, Erthos only just managing to move out of the way of the spray of blood.

The man, his life clearly fading away, looked up at Rastuazi with an almost pleading look in his eyes, a look that she promptly ignored as she swung her sword round, cutting his head clean off.

There was silence in the room for a moment, Rastuazi simply standing over the corpse whilst Erthos stood to the side, watching her quietly. There was a loud clang as the Death Knight dropped her sword to the ground, followed by her falling to her knees, breaking down into tears.

"I'm nothing more than a walking corpse now…" she muttered quietly to herself. "Full of hatred…darkness…" Erthos could only watch as Rastuazi covered her face with her hands.

Slowly, he moved to stand beside Rastuazi, unsure of what to do. He opened his mouth to speak, but found nothing came out. After a few moments, he decided on what he thought was the best course to take. Reaching up, Erthos pulled the amulet up and over his head, placing it gently down on the floor, before kneeling down beside Rastuazi. He looked at her as she turned her head slightly to look at him, seeing the tears forming in her eyes, and placed an arm around her, gently rubbing her back.

"Its ok…" he said quietly, trying to re-assure her. Rastuazi quickly pulled away from Erthos, tears running down her cheeks as she did so, a flare of anger showing in her voice when she next spoke.

"Leave me alone…" she said, shaking her head slightly. "I'm a monster now…you don't want to be near me…" Standing up, Rastuazi wiped the tears from her eyes, trying to regain her composure.

"I…am glad to see you unharmed…Erthos…" she said quietly, her voice cold, as she reached down and picked up her sword before whistling for her Deathcharger. "I…there was a part of me that felt like I had failed…when I died..."

Without another word, Rastuazi moved to her Deathcharger that was now waiting for her, sliding her large sword into the sheath that rested on the side of the saddle. She seemed to pause for a moment, her back to Erthos before she reached out and climbed up onto its back, taking hold of the reigns as she did.

As quick as he could, Erthos scooped up the amulet and moved after Rastuazi, standing in front of her steed to block her path.

"I don't think you're a monster" Erthos said as he looked at Rastuazi, whose cold eyes stared back at him. "You may have run into some bad luck, but at the core of it all, you are the same person." Erthos paused for a moment before he continued on. "Besides, where will you go?"

Rastuazi remained silent as she looked directly into Erthos' eyes. He could tell from her look that she hadn't liked what he had said, but even so, he was not prepared for what came next. Any life that remained in the area around them just seemed to fade from existence as the Death Knight tensed up.

"Bad luck? BAD LUCK?" Rastuazi exclaimed, causing Erthos to take a stunned step back. "Do you know just what I've been through? How would _you_ like to be killed and then brought back as nothing more than a _WALKING CORPSE_! Then would you call it bad luck?!"

Rastuazi let out a cry of anger as Erthos felt himself shrink down from the barrage of words. As soon as she was finished, he hung his head and looked at the floor before stepping to the side and unblocking her path. He was sure he could feel her cold stare boring into him as he looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry…" he said quietly, his voice just a whisper. He had never expected to get that kind of reaction from Rastuazi. Maybe some words of protest, but nothing like what had just happened. "You're right…If you want to go, then go. I can't stop you…I just...didn't want to lose you again…" Erthos' voice trailed off at the end as he reached up, wiping away a tear with the edge of his sleeve before turning around, so that he wouldn't have to watch Rastuazi leave.

Rastuazi looked at Erthos quietly for a moment, her mind a mess of thoughts and feelings. Even though what Erthos had said had angered her, she knew she wasn't truly angry with him. He had only been trying to help, even if it was a colossally poor choice of words on his part. And he had been right. Where would she go? What would she do? No city would take her in now, and no one in their right would even give her a second thought, not now she was tainted by the Scourge.

Shaking her head slightly, Rastuazi climbed down off of her Deathcharger and sent it away silently.

"If you wish me to stay…I'll stay" she whispered quietly as she reached out and slowly placed a hand on Erthos' shoulder, the younger Blood Elf trying his best not to flinch as she did so. "Besides…I have no where to go so I might as well just travel the world…" Rastuazi seemed to pause for a moment, as if unsure to say something. "But…I'd rather not do so alone…" she added to the end finally. Erthos couldn't help but smile slightly and reached up with his own hand, placing it on top of Rastuazi's armoured hand. Slowly, he turned to look at her, wiping away some tears as he did so.

"You don't have to be alone" he said, his voice sounding soft and caring as he looked at Rastuazi. "I can travel with you."

Rastuazi looked at Erthos quietly for a moment as she thought about his suggestion. The idea of travelling with Erthos again was certainly a tempting one. The thought of becoming his protector again was very appealing, as was being with a "friend".

"I'd like that" she finally said, nodding with a slight smile. "Just promise me one thing. Don't go getting yourself killed…You don't want to end up like me." Rastuazi let out a slight laugh, as if what she had said was her way of a joke.

Erthos let out a faint, but awkward, chuckle of his own at Rastuazi's statement before nodding slightly. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he turned around fully to look at Rastuazi.

"I need to return to the Argent Dawn" he said, turning his head to look in the general direction of Lights Hope. "I need to let them know that I am ok, otherwise they will come looking for me." As he spoke, Erthos moved slightly away to allow him room to summon his Dreadsteed again.

"I might not have been there long, but it became a home of sorts for me" Erthos said as he finished summoning his Dreadsteed. "Plus I have some things that I can't leave behind." Erthos quickly secured the amulet in one of the pouches around his belt before he climbed up onto the back of his mount. He knew that if the Argent came looking for him, they would find him and things would end very badly between them and Rastuazi, something he seriously hoped to avoid.

Rastuazi moved over to Nightmare as Erthos spoke, gently patting her steed on its side.

"I can't go into the Chapel, they'll kill me" she said with a quiet sigh, confirming Erthos' own thoughts before shaking her head slightly. "I'm still considered Scourge, after all…" Slight tones of sadness could be heard in Rastuazi's voice as she climbed up onto Nightmare's back. "I'm still not used to your new looks, Nightmare…" she whispered to the horse, who simply shook its head in response.

"I figured you wouldn't be able to" Erthos said as his Dreadsteed trotted up beside Nightmare. "It's why it's only going to be a quick stop. You should be able to stay on the outskirts whilst I quickly go in. I won't take long."

Erthos smiled gently at Rastuazi, giving her a slight nod. He knew that she was upset about not being able to go into the Chapel, but there was little he could do about it. With a slight kick to its side, Erthos spurned on his mount with Rastuazi easily following behind. Casting a glance back, he could tell that if need be Rastuazi's mount could easily out pace his own.

As the two of them tore through the Plaguelands, any creatures that were near by simply steered clear. Erthos welcomed the change, wanting to get in and out of the Chapel as quick as he could. It wasn't long before they had arrived.

"I will wait here…don't take too long…" Rastuazi said quietly as she veered off to the side before jumping off of Nightmare and walking into a severely burnt building.

Erthos looked at the building for a few moments before he quickly rode into Lights Hope. The various Crusaders patrolling the Chapel offered their greetings to Erthos as he climbed off of the back of his Dreadsteed. He gave them a polite nod and smile in response, not wanting to waste too much time.

Moving quickly, he went into his room, grabbing his enchanted bag as he did. He went through his drawers and cabinets, gathering up what he thought he may need to take with him. As he was gathering, he stopped when he heard a slight cough from behind him.

"Yeh going somewhere, laddy?" came the gruff voice that could only belong to Magnill. Erthos turned around to see Magnill and Darius standing in the door way to his room.

"It certainly looks like you are" Darius said, walking into the room and moving over to the bag that Erthos was packing, looking at its contents.

"I…" Erthos stammered slightly, looking at the two men in front of him. "I think I know where Zyathri is. I have to go and find her" he finally said, turning his back to them to continue going through one of his drawers, but also to avoid their looks. If anyone in Lights Hope would see right through him, it would be the two in the room with him.

Magnill and Darius simply looked at each other, before looking back to Erthos. Magnill walked up to the blood elf, standing beside him.

"Lad, yeh be careful, you hear?" he said, looking up at Erthos. "Yeh don't want to tell us the whole story, that's yer call. Every man's got his secrets. Just remember, were here if yeh need us."

Erthos looked down at Magnill and smiled with a gentle nod. He turned and looked over to Darius, who gave his student a slight nod of his own. Turning his head, Erthos looked at the sword and shield that rested on the wall. Walking over to them, he reached out and placed his hand on the shield.

"Keep my room open, would you?" he said, looking over to the two of them. Both of them nodded, moving towards the door way.

"Before you go, though…" Darius said, stopping at the doorway. He turned and looked at Erthos before pulling a ring from his hand which he passed to him. Erthos took the ring, looking at it. It was a plain ring, made from silver.

"It's enchanted" Darius said, nodding to the ring. "It will help your body last longer when you are casting a lot of spells." Erthos smiled and slipped the ring on, marvelling slightly as it shrunk to fit his slender finger.

"I suppose I best give yeh something to, aye?" Magnill said with a smirk, reaching into the pockets of his robes. Grinning, he pulled out a leather canteen that looked to be filled with some kind of liquid. "Take it" he said, offering it to Erthos. "I know it aint an enchanted ring, but that drink could save yeh from some cold nights."

Erthos took the canteen from Magnill and opened the lid to take a sniff. As soon as he did, he shoved the drink away from his nose, much to the amusement of Magnill. Whatever the drink was, it was strong.

"Just make sure yeh give that back when yeh return!" Magnill said, smiling. Erthos nodded in response before saying his final farewells to the two of them. With bag in hand, he quickly made his way outside and climbed onto his Dreadsteed.

"Until next time…" Erthos said, looking at Lights Hope Chapel before sprinting back to Rastuazi.

Outside the burnt house, Rastuazi leant against the remains of a fence, Nightmare standing beside her. Leaning its head forwards, Nightmare lightly licked at Rastuazi's cheek, causing her to let out a faint laugh.

"Nightmare…Stop that…" she said quietly, smiling faintly. Her body went rigid as the sound of an approaching horse rang through the air. Reaching for her sword, she turned to see Erthos riding up the road to her. With a slight smile, she waved her hand.

As he approached, Erthos himself smiled, eventually bringing his Dreadsteed to a stop beside Rastuazi. He climbed down off of its back, stretching slightly as he did so.

"I managed to get the stuff I wanted to get" he said, patting the bag that was now attached to the belt on his waist. "They shouldn't come looking for me, not for a while at least." Erthos paused for a moment as he looked at Rastuazi, an awkward question forming in his mind.

"So…Do I call you Zyathri…or Rastuazi?" he asked slowly, scratching the back of his head as he did so. He didn't want to offend her by calling her the wrong name, but he also didn't want to offend her by asking.

Rastuazi simply tilted her head to the side at the question, regarding Erthos as she did so. If the question had offended her, she made no outward sign to the fact.

"As I have said, Zyathri died…I am Rastuazi now…" she said quietly, shaking her head slightly as she did so. "Besides…I don't think my former name would suit me, since I am basically an anti-paladin now." Rastuazi smiled slightly before looking around. She frowned slightly before turning her attention back to Erthos.

"Any ideas where we should actually go?" she asked him, not entirely sure herself where it would be best for them to go.

"Well…" Erthos started, thinking to himself, wondering where they should go. His mind shifted to the amulet that now rested in his bag. "We need to get the amulet moving, to get it away from here" he said with a slight nod. "Undoubtedly, someone is going to come looking for it. Either someone from Undercity, or someone from Silvermoon…" Erthos paused for a moment, looking to Rastuazi before shrugging slightly.

"Do you know anywhere nice, perhaps?" he asked her, offering a slight shrug. Erthos' knowledge of the world outside of his home was extremely limited, so to be asked where to go next had him stumped. Rastuazi herself simply smiled and reached out, placing a hand on Erthos' shoulder.

"I do know somewhere we can go" she said with a light nod. "And if anyone tries to get that amulet off of you, they will meet my blade. As far as I'm concerned, that amulet belongs to you now, considering all the trouble we went through." Rastuazi paused for a moment as she threw a look to her Deathcharger before looking back to Erthos. She quickly moved over to it and climbed up onto its back, offering a hand to Erthos.

"My horse is faster" she said with a slight smile. Erthos smiled back and took the offered hand, climbing up behind Rastuazi. Memories came rushing to the front of Erthos' mind as he placed one of his arms around Rastuazi's waist to steady himself whilst waving his free hand slightly to dismiss his own mount.

Rastuazi couldn't help but smile herself as Erthos climbed on and secured himself. She certainly felt more comfortable than before. Reaching down, she gave her faithful steed a pat on the neck, causing it to lurch forwards with immense speed.

As the two of them were propelled through the Plaguelands at an ungodly speed, Rastuazi's mind filled with questions.

_Does Erthos really care that much? Before he knew it was me…he seemed so upset about my death…does he…? _Rastuazi shook her head, silencing the thoughts as she subconsciously placed a hand on Erthos' arm.

As they approached the bridge into the Western Plaguelands, Rastuazi noticed that Erthos had started to drift in and out of sleep. Above them the sun was almost hidden, the moon starting to make its presence known instead. Thanks to the smog and fumes in the Eastern Plaguelands, she hadn't noticed where the sun was at all, most of its rays blocked out.

With Erthos now solidly asleep, Rastuazi decided it would be best for them to rest for the night. Even though she knew that they would be able to travel undetected better under the cover of darkness, Erthos wouldn't be much use in a fight if he was fast asleep.

Rastuazi let out a slight sigh as she rode along the path, looking for a safe place to stop, turning her head to look at Erthos slightly. Her thoughts went to the fight against the undead forces earlier in the day. She couldn't help but wonder how long she had been dead for. Erthos certainly hadn't been able to fight like he had when she was alive.

Turning her attention back to the path, she pulled slightly on Nightmare's reigns, causing the powerful steed to turn off from the path towards a nearby shallow cave that had caught her attention.

Making sure not to disturb Erthos too much, Rastuazi climbed down off of Nightmare before gently lifting Erthos off as well. With the Blood Elf in her arms, Rastuazi walked into the cave before gently placing him down on the ground.

"You stay here, Nightmare" Rastuazi said to her horse as she walked back outside. She case a quick look back to Erthos for a moment, wondering if he was cold, but knowing she couldn't really do anything about it. She didn't have any kind of covers, and she wasn't about to go through Erthos' bag without permission.

With a quiet sigh, Rastuazi simply walked back into the cave and sat down beside Erthos. She knew the night was going to be a long one. She just hoped it was an uneventful one as well.


	9. Chapter 8: Journey across the Waters

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this latest part out to you all! Life has been hectic of late, and finding the time to properly type these up can be hard. I will try to get them out to you as often as I can. Thank you for your patience!**

_Chapter 8_

_Journey across the Waters_

Erthos woke with a long yawn, stretching out as he did so. His body ached slightly as he stood up, rubbing his eyes. Looking around, he soon worked out why. He was in a cave.

"Good morning" came the chilled voice of Rastuazi suddenly, causing Erthos to jump. Turning, he saw her sitting in what looked to be the darkest corner of the small cave.

"Morning" Erthos said, casting a quick look outside the cave before looking back to Rastuazi. "Are you ok?" he asked her with a slight frown, noticing that she seemed to be in a rough state.

"No…" Rastuazi said slowly, shaking her head slightly as she did so. "My resurrection does not seem to have finished… I cannot go out into the sunlight without becoming very weakened."

Erthos blinked slowly, looking at Rastuazi before looking back outside again. The sun was indeed shining brightly outside.

"Well, we can't wait until sunset to move again…" Erthos said slowly. "Who knows who might find us…"

"Don't you think I know that!?" Rastuazi growled, causing Erthos to take a step back in shock at the sudden outburst. Rastuazi herself let out a sigh, closing her eyes.

"Sorry…" she said slowly, shaking her head. "I am not angry at you…I am simply…Annoyed at this weakness…" Erthos remained silent for a few moments, looking at Rastuazi as he did so. He could tell that this revelation deeply affected her, urging him to want to help her.

With a slight nod, he turned on his heel and walked out of the cave, moving to his bag. He searched through its contents before finally taking hold of what he wanted. He quickly pulled it out and walked back into the cave to Rastuazi, who looked at him with a slightly puzzled look.

"This should help" he said with a nod and a smile. He held out his hands to show a full length piece of black material with a silver border. Rastuazi reached out and took hold of the item in her hand, removing one of her gauntlets for a moment to feel the material.

"Is this…Runecloth?" she asked quietly, tilting her head to the side as she looked at the material in the slight dark of the cave.

"Yes, a Runecloth cloak, to be precise" Erthos said with a nod. "It has a hood to it, so that you can cover your face from the sun, and it can just rest over your shoulders. It has an open front as well, you see?" Erthos motioned for Rastuazi to stand up and put it on, a request the Death Knight accepted with a slight sigh.

Standing upright, she threw the cloak around her shoulders, fastening it in place around her neck. As she did so, she couldn't help but smile slightly at how soft it felt against her exposed skin. After adjusting it slightly, she reached behind her and pulled the hood up over her head, slight amounts of her hair spilling down over the front of her shoulders.

"It suits you…" Erthos said with a soft smile. "Does it fit ok?" Rastuazi nodded slightly from under the hood before walking out into the sun, a faint smile playing on her lips as she is shielded from its rays by the cloak, no longer feeling weakened by it.

"…Thank you, Erthos…" she said quietly, turning her head slightly to look back into the cave. Erthos simply smiled and nodded, walking out to join her.

"It's the least I could do" he said, reaching out and gently placing a hand on Rastuazi's shoulder. "Do you want something to eat before we go?" he asked her before moving to his bag, opening it again and looking through its contents.

"I do not need to eat…" Rastuazi said quietly, shaking her head slightly. Erthos looked at Rastuazi for a moment, pondering what to say, finally opting to simply nod and not chase the issue. Pulling a piece of bread from the bag, Erthos quickly ate it whilst Rastuazi gently petted Nightmare.

"How long do you think it will take us to get to where we want to go?" Erthos asked his travelling companion as he walked up to her. Rastuazi looked over to Erthos and studied him for a moment as the robe shifted slightly in the cool breeze that blew between them.

"On the back of Nightmare, it wont take us long" she said, looking back at Nightmare, petting him some more. "We should be able to get past the Undercity in no time at all, really."

Erthos found himself shudder slightly at the mention of the Undercity, his mind going back to what had happened the last time he was there. He stomach turned slightly as he remembered the abominations, trying its best to make the bread he had just eaten come back up again.

"You arent going to throw up again, are you?" Rastuazi asked, looking at Erthos with a smirk as she watched his hand move to his stomach. "I would rather you didn't ruin my new cloak. I have only just got it…"

Erthos couldn't help but let out a slight laugh at Rastuazi's comment, shaking his head as he did so.

"Don't worry, I wont ruin your cloak" he said with a smile. "So long as we don't have to deal with any more abominations, of course…"

Rastuazi shook her head slightly still smiling. She stood still for a moment, her face obscured by the cloak. When she next spoke, her voice seemed unnaturally soft.

"Erthos…I want to apologise…" she said slowly, turning to face the warlock. Erthos looked at her with slight surprise. After all, what did she have to apologise for? "I...am sorry for almost attacking you yesterday, when we first encountered each other again."

Erthos blinked and shook his head slightly, smiling as he did so.

"You have nothing to be sorry for" he said warmly, reaching out and gently placing a hand on Rastuazi's arm. "You weren't in your right mind, after all."

"Even so…" she said, moving away slightly. "I could have hurt you, or worse, and then I would still be under the control of my former master."

"But you didn't hurt me" Erthos said, watching Rastuazi quietly. "You saved me, and now you are free from your old master…"

"Not completely…" Rastuazi said quietly, looking down at her hands, clenching them into fists. She knew that no matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to escape the mark that the Scourge had now left on her.

"Come on, we best get going" she suddenly said, walking into the cave and picking up her sword from its resting place, leant up against a wall. "The day is ticking on, after all."

Erthos nodded in agreement as Rastuazi came back out and slid her sword into a holder that was attached to the side of the saddle on Nightmares back. In one swift motion, Rastuazi climbed onto the back of her mount and held out her hand to Erthos, who took it and climbed up behind the Death Knight.

With a kick to Nightmares side, which caused the Deathcharger to raise itself up on its back legs, the two of them were soon speeding through the Western Plaguelands. Everything around them became a blur to Erthos as they went faster and faster, an almost unholy aura surrounding them, seeming to propel them onwards.

Rastuazi kept her head down as the wind tried its best to pull her hood back over her head, failing to do so each time. As they came closer to the border into Tirisfal Glades, a question formed in Rastuazi's mind.

"Erthos…" she said, tilting her head to the side so that the Blood Elf could hear her. "How long was I dead for…?" She had tried to work it out for herself, but had been unable to. She could remember how she had died, what it had felt like, and then the next thing she was waking up in front of her new master.

Erthos looked at Rastuazi for a moment as she asked him the question. He couldn't help but wonder why she wanted to know, but simply shrugged inwardly before responding.

"A little over a month, why?" he asked her, having to raise his voice slightly to be heard over the noise of the rushing wind as they rode past the border and into the Glades.

"A month…" Rastuazi said quietly, looking up in time to see a Forsaken troop on the path ahead. She kept her head down as they moved past, none of them seeming to sense anything odd about a cloaked traveller and their companion on the road.

"I feel like a criminal on the run…" she found herself saying with a slight laugh, causing a short laugh from Erthos as well. She turned her head again once the patrol was far behind them. "Did you stay with the Argent the entire time?"

"Yes" Erthos said with a nod, adjusting his grip around Rastuazi's waist as he did so. "They purified the amulet whilst I was there, as well as trained me in armed and magical combat."

Rastuazi nodded slightly, looking back in the direction they were travelling. She had noticed there was a vast improvement in how Erthos operated in combat. She felt a slight twinge in her heart at having not been able to watch him progress, or even train him herself.

Above them, there was a loud rumble as the weather started to darken. Erthos looked up in time to see rain start to pour down.

"Stop a moment" he yelled over the sound of the heavy rain as he started to get soaked through. Rastuazi nodded and pulled on the reigns, bringing Nightmare to a gentle trot before stopping all together.

As quick as he could, Erthos rummaged through his bag and pulled out another black cloak, minus the silver border that Rastuazi's had, and slung it on. As soon as it was secure, he pulled the hood over his head, shielding himself from the rain, and motioned for Rastuazi to continue.

Ahead of them, the entrance to the Undercity started to get ever closer. Rastuazi made sure that her face was covered as they rode along, whilst Erthos felt his gut twist with nerves. Right now would be the worst time for them to get caught, right outside the entrance to the Undercity.

Erthos was thankful to see that no one bothered with them as they rode past. One of the guards seemed to glance at them as they rode by, but made no motion to stop them for any reason. As they rode, the rain started to sting on Erthos' face anytime it managed to strike him, causing him to lean in closer to Rastuazi for more cover.

The rain continued to pour down on them as they rode in silence through Tirisfal Glade. Soon, things started to change around them, more trees taking up the area around them. They had just passed into Silverpine Forest.

It was with a slight sorrow that Rastuazi looked at the various wolves, worgen and bears that stalked the forest. They were all watching the two of them ride through, but were also backing away to avoid them.

"Most things seem to avoid me now…" Rastuazi muttered under breath as the unholy aura around the Death Knight increased, causing Nightmare to run even faster.

Erthos looked around slightly as he felt the sudden increase in speed, his grip on Rastuazi tightening slightly. He couldn't help but feel sadness take shape in his heart after hearing her mutter to herself.

_At least she has me…_he thought to himself as he let out a slight sigh. With a sudden tug on the reigns, Rastuazi took Nightmare off of the path and to the side, trees whizzing past them as they dodged and weaved through them.

"Hey Zy…I mean Rastuazi, where are we going?" Erthos asked, having to catch his tongue slightly as he found himself nearly calling Rastuazi Zyathri. Rastuazi sighed slightly, having caught up on the slip up, but didn't say anything about it.

"I was thinking a change of scenery" she called out over the sound of the wind rushing past them. "We are going to Ashenvale. Its somewhere different, plus as good a place as ay to go to get the amulet far away. Of course, it is in Kalimdor…"

Erthos furrowed his brow slightly as he is told they are going to Ashenvale. Kalimdor wasn't exactly a quick trip away. How were they going to get there?

Ahead of them, through the trees, Erthos could see the coast line getting closer and closer. Rastuazi seemed to be egging Nightmare on faster and faster as they got closer.

"Rastuazi…" Erthos said, slight panic forming in his voice as the water came rushing towards them. Rastuazi remained silent as they charged onwards, smiling to herself as they did.

"Don't worry, were not swimming" she suddenly said, followed shortly by the air around them seeming to chill, tiny particles of ice taking shape around Nightmares hooves.

Erthos let out a loud yelp as they finally came into contact with the water, gripping Rastuazi tightly and shutting his eyes tight. He waited for the inevitable cold water to strike them, soaking them through. When it didn't come, he slowly opened his eyes.

"How…?" he asked as he looked down at the water that was now rushing beneath them both, Nightmare running along its surface as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Rastuazi smiled underneath her hood at Erthos' reaction before motioning to the particles of ice that hung in the air around them, as well as around Nightmares feet.

"I suppose being what I am might prove to be useful" she said with a faint chuckle. "I wasn't always able to cross water like this." Inside herself, Rastuazi felt herself starting to accept what she had become. After all, it meant she was able to spend more time with Erthos, right?

"That would come in very handy" Erthos said over the wind as Nightmare raced across the waters surface. They had now left the rain behind them, which Erthos considered to be a blessing as he now found it very hard to keep his hood up, thanks to the wind which took it upon itself to blow his hair and robes all over the place.

As they raced across the waters surface, leaving nothing behind but the ripples caused by Nightmares hooves, the two of them remained quiet. Rastuazi knew that, although Nightmare was fast, it was going to take them a short while to reach Kalimdor.

"Erthos…" she suddenly said, breaking the silence between the two of them. Erthos leant to the side slightly so he could better hear Rastuazi.

"I…really am sorry for attacking you…" she said slowly, shaking her head slightly. "I did not know who you were, nor who I was… I was not in control of my actions…"

Erthos shook his head slightly and smiled.

"Rastuazi, It's ok, really" he said, giving Rastuazi a slight squeeze. "Like you said, you weren't in control of your action, so I don't hold it against you."

Rastuazi nodded slightly and smiled faintly. Although she still felt bad for what had happened, she was glad to know that Erthos didn't hold it against her.

Erthos turned his head slightly as Nightmare ferried them across the vast ocean, looking out to the horizon. Looking to his right, in the sky he could make out the shape of one of the Zeppelins that the Horde favoured, probably ferrying someone from Orgrimmar to the Undercity. To his left, however, he could make out the shape of an Alliance ship. Thankfully it was too far away to be of any risk to them, but it was still an unnerving sight for Erthos to see.

By time the duo had reached the shores again, the sun had started to descend in the skies, casting an orange glow everywhere. Erthos found the transition from Nightmare running on water to the mighty steed running on dry land again to be quite noticeable.

Whereas on the water, it had been quite a smooth journey, on the land Erthos was sure he could feel every bump and crack through the horse. _Of course… _he thought to himself, throwing a quick glance backwards at the water as it moved further away, _I may have just been sitting here for too long…_

"We will stop soon…" Rastuazi suddenly said from beneath her hood, almost as if she had read Erthos' mind about being sat still for too long. Erthos wondered where they would stop, considering how things currently looked around them.

Everything was dry and down trodden. There were a few spots where grass was growing, usually around small patches of water. Overheard the occasional bird could be seen, looking to be searching for food.

Tugging on Nightmares reigns, Rastuazi guided them up a well trodden hill. Erthos caught sight of a sign that had the word Ratchet chiselled onto it. Turning his attention to the view ahead of them, Erthos watched as the small town came into view around them.

Inhabited by Goblins, Erthos watched as they glanced up at Nightmare, Rastuazi bringing their ride to a gentle trot. None of the Goblins seemed to care about the presence of the Death Knight, either that or they didn't notice Rastuazi was one.

"Resting here for a moment would be a good idea" Rastuazi said as she brought Nightmare to a stop next to a small stable. _Might as well take advantage of the lack of hostility…_ Rastuazi thought to herself as the various Goblins returned to their tasks. "We can also get you some food…"

Erthos nodded as he carefully climbed down off of Nightmare, stretching out his back and legs once his feet were firmly on the ground. He was not used to riding on a mount for long periods of time, so his muscles complained at him at every possible chance.

"What about you?" Erthos asked as he turned to look at Rastuazi, offering her a hand, which she took as she climbed down off of the back of Nightmare. "You haven't eaten anything all day. Aren't you hungry?"

Rastuazi seemed to stiffen up slightly as she regarded Erthos' question, slowly letting go of his hand. Shaking her head slightly, some of her silver hair falling out from behind her hood, Rastuazi turned around, laying a hand lightly on Nightmares side.

"I do not need to eat…" she said quietly, running her hand across Nightmare as the horse drank its fill of water. In truth, Rastuazi knew that thanks to her resurrection, she would likely never need to eat again, a fact that noticeably bothered her.

"I see…" Erthos responded as he looked at the back of Rastuazi. He caught the hidden meaning in what she had said, a feeling of pity washing over him, causing him to reach out and lightly place a hand on Rastuazi's arm. The female Blood Elf seemed to relax slightly at the touch, turning on the spot to look at Erthos with a faint smile.

"Come, let us find you something to eat" she said quietly, walking away from Nightmare. Erthos nodded and followed beside her, his eyes scanning around. There looked to be quite a few merchants peddling their wares, the occasional Orc and Tauren standing at a stall as they made their purchases.

Erthos quickly caught sight of a food merchant, a troll who currently had his back turned to them. Erthos moved over to the troll, Rastuazi following silently behind him, still acting as a guard to the young Warlock.

Hearing approaching customers, the troll turns on the spot, giving Erthos a toothy grin. The grin quickly fades, however, when he catches sight of Rastuazi. Erthos quickly notices the shift in the trolls body language; a tensing up his muscles, hands shaking slightly. The corners of Erthos' mouth drop slightly as he throws a look to Rastuazi, knowing that this reaction would affect her.

"No way, mon" the troll said, shaking his head as he took a step back. "I ain't serving no scourge. Not ever, mon!" Rastuazi felt a surge of anger rise up inside her as she took a step forwards, leaning in close to the troll, her hand reaching behind her and wrapping around the hilt to her blade.

"It is not me, you are serving" she said slowly, her voice dripping with malice and chill. "You will serve him, and you will do so politely."

The troll stammered slightly as he looked into Rastuazi's glowing eyes, the Death Knights hand tightening its grip on her blade as she started to slowly unsheathe it. Around them, the other people in the small town started to look at what was going on with interest.

"H-how may I help you, m-mon.." the troll managed to get out, looking to Erthos with a panicked look. Erthos returned the trolls look with a slightly nervous laugh. He quickly picked up some fresh bread, as well as taking some loose change from his coin purse, passing it to the troll who took it, almost dropping the coins thanks to his shaking hands.

"Good…" Rastuazi said, standing up straight and pushing her blade back into its holder. She threw the troll one last look before both her and Erthos walked away, leaving the troll to calm himself down.

Walking a short distance away, Erthos sat himself down on the top of a small hill, looking out across the land, Rastuazi standing beside him. Reaching into his pouch, Erthos took out a piece of meat which he rested on his lap as he tore the bread in half length ways before placing the piece of meat in-between the two halves.

As he took a bite, Rastuazi quietly sat down beside Erthos, her face still mostly covered by the Runecloth cloak. Her head tilted skywards for a moment, looking at the reds and purples that started to take form as the sun continued to sink even further below the horizon.

"I wouldn't normally threaten someone like that…" Rastuazi said quietly, breaking the silence between the two of them. She looked down at the ground beneath her, her loose hair swaying slightly in a gentle breeze. When she next spoke, Rastuazi's voice was deathly quiet. "It seems a lot has changed about me…"

Erthos looked at Rastuazi silently for a moment before scooting closer to her, gently placing an arm around the Death Knight and offering her a gentle smile. The female Blood Elf tensed up slightly at the touch but soon relaxed, seeming to almost smile behind her hood.

"The sun is setting…" Erthos said quietly as he watched the burning ball of fire disappear, shadows being cast all around them. Rastuazi smiled even more as she watched the sight, reaching up and pulling her hood down to reveal her face.

Up close Erthos took a good look at Rastuazi's face. Her skin appeared to be perfect, flawless and yet full of life, betraying the fact that she was technically dead. Her eyes were glowing softly in the evening light, her silver hair shinning ever so slightly. The entire sight brought a smile to Erthos' face.

Rastuazi didn't seem to notice Erthos as he studied her face, instead her attention focused on the setting sun. She didn't know why, but watching the event was calming her down, soothing her troubled soul. Or perhaps it was Erthos' arm that was wrapped around her. She wasn't sure either way, but enjoyed it none the less.

Letting out a soft sigh, Rastuazi closed her eyes, resting her head on Erthos' shoulder. The young Blood Elf blinked in surprise at the action, watching Rastuazi as she adjusted herself slightly, getting comfortable before seeming to just fall asleep.

"Rest well, Rastuazi…" Erthos whispered quietly, letting out a soft chuckle as he gently brushed a piece of hair from Rastuazi's face, tucking it behind her ear. Rastuazi remained still against Erthos as he returned his attention to the horizon.

As the sun finally vanished from view, leaving nothing but a faint glow in the sky, Nightmare quietly moved up beside Erthos, letting out a slightly distorted grunt, making him jump slightly. At hearing the noise. Rastuazi seemed to sir slightly in her sleep, letting out a yawn before simply getting comfortable again.

After glancing at Rastuazi, Erthos looked to Nightmare, reaching out and lightly petting the horse on the nose, the powerful steed shaking its head slightly before resting down beside him.

"So what's your take on all of this?" Erthos whispered quietly to the horse, not wanting to wake Rastuazi. Nightmare responds by leaning its head closer, licking at Erthos' cheek, causing him to chuckle lightly. With a smile, Erthos reached into his bag and pulled out a small water bottle, unscrewing its top and drinking from its contents.

Resting against him, Rastuazi's brow started to furrow as she begun to stir in her sleep. Erthos looked at her with concern as she stirred more, letting out what sounded like a whimper. Reaching up, Erthos lightly stroked Rastuazi's cheek, hoping it would comfort her. Instead, the Death Knights eyes shot wide open.

"Rastuazi..?" Erthos asked quietly as she pulled away from Erthos quickly, bringing her knees to her chest. Erthos could see Rastuazi shivering slightly, a shiver that was born from fear rather than cold.

"Rastuazi, what is it?" Erthos asked as he got onto his knees and moved so he was positioned in front of her. Slowly, Rastuazi raised her head and looked to Erthos, tears rolling down her cheeks. The sight seemed to shock Erthos as he looked at Rastuazi, her bottom lip quivering slightly as she tried to hold back the tears.

Almost as if she wasn't aware of what had happened, Rastuazi shook her head, wiping the tears away from her cheeks and taking a deep breath. Closing her eyes, Rastuazi exhaled slowly, calming her self down as the shivering stopped.

"It is nothing…" she said quietly, turning her head to look away from Erthos, trying to hide the sad expression that was present on her face. In truth, it was more than nothing. Her mind had been plagued with images of her death, of the immense pain and anguish at being risen as a slave.

"I don't believe it was nothing…" Erthos said, reaching out and gently placing a hand on Rastuazi's arm. "What is it? You can trust me…" His voice sounded unusually soft and caring to Rastuazi as she slowly turned to look at the young Blood Elf again, tears taking shape once more, the thoughts and images rushing back into her mind.

"My death is haunting me…" Rastuazi said quietly, her gaze holding Erthos' as she spoke. A slight chill went through Erthos' spine as he heard her voice, cold and hollow. "I don't think I can take this much longer…I will not continue a monster…"

Rastuazi's eyes seemed to glaze over, almost as if she was retreating into her own mind. Erthos watched her quietly, unsure what to do or say. A shock ran through his body as he watched her hand reach up behind her, going for her sword. It took only a second for his mind to register what she was going to do, and only another for his hand to snake out and wrap around hers.

"I'm here for you" Erthos whispered quietly, slowly pulling Rastuazi's hand back away from her blade. "I'm here to help you." Erthos tried to smile gently as Rastuazi looked to him, but his smile faltered as he saw the slight look of anger on her face.

"You can't change the past" she said, her voice sounding angry as she pulled her hand back, letting it drop down onto the floor as she looked away. Rastuazi sighed slightly as her emotions boiled beneath her skin, her anger and sorrow aching to be released. When she spoke again, her voice was unusually quiet "Why do you care so much…"

"No, I can't change the past" Erthos said slowly as he placed his hands onto his lap, watching Rastuazi. "But I can change the future. As for why I care…" Erthos paused for a moment, his mouth open, trying to find the right words, as Rastuazi turned her head slowly to look at him. Her eyes studied him, as if looking, hoping, for a certain answer. When nothing came out, Rastuazi shook her head, her face showing anger and sorrow again as she rose to her feet.

"It doesn't matter. Caring doesn't matter... It is dangerous and it will get you killed" she said, her voice bitter. "Believe me…I know…" Erthos felt himself flinch inwardly as Rastuazi's words struck deep, the Death Knight turning and moving to Nightmare who was now also standing. With one swift movement, she was on the back of her mount, hand out stretched to Erthos. "…Lets go…" she said quietly.

Erthos looked at the offered hand, then up at Rastuazi before simply shaking his head. Intentional or not, what Rastuazi had said had hurt him deeply,

"No, I'll take mine…" Erthos said quietly, turning away as he summoned his own steed. With a slight flash, his Felsteed appeared and Erthos climbed on, riding up beside Rastuazi in the dark. "Let's go then..."

Rastuazi watched Erthos quietly for a moment, her hand still outstretched, a blank expression on her face. Slowly, she pulled her hand back, inside the sorrow and anger only growing.

"Fine…" she said slowly, a cold dark aura seeming to radiate from her. With a slight kick into Nightmares side, causing the mighty beast to raise itself onto its back legs, the Death Knight sped off into the night, not bothering to check her speed, seeming to no longer care, leaving Erthos to slowly fall behind.

A short distance away, in the town of Ratchet, the Goblins were hurrying around. Although the middle of the night was now descending upon them, that didn't stop the small green men and women from trying to sell their wares. After all, adventurers could turn up at any time of day. As they hurried about, a figure entered their midst, walking softly, their face hidden behind a large hood.

"I am looking for two Blood Elves" the person said, their voice carrying a feminine softness with it. "A young boy and an older female." The lone figure was greeted by silence as they stood in the middle of the market place. Letting out an annoyed sigh, they reached into their long flowing robes and pulled out a bag filled with coins. Instantly, one of the Goblins sprinted over, grabbing the bag before any of his fellows could.

"They went that way!" the Goblin said, pointing a podgy finger in a direction to the north as he weighed the coin bag in his other hand. Bowing slightly, the stranger span on their heel and moved in the direction indicated.


	10. Chapter 9: Blood Runs Thicker

_Chapter 9_

_Blood Runs Thicker..._

Erthos gripped the reins of his mount tightly as he did his best to keep up with Rastuazi, failing miserably at the task. Overhead, dark clouds gathered, throwing the Barrens into pitch black. Erthos almost jumped out of his skin as a loud crash echoed all around him, the ringing of thunder.

"Rastuazi, wait!" he tried to call out as he spurred his horse onwards, the Death Knight starting to get smaller and smaller as she moved further away. Soon, the thunder was joined by flashes of lightning that illuminated everything for a couple of seconds, the only source of light now, as well as a heavy down pour of warm rain.

It wasn't long before Erthos could barely see a few feet in front of him, let alone far in the distance where Rastuazi was. Another flash of lightning and rumble of thunder provided Erthos a brief insight into what was ahead of him, but it was information that came too late.

A loud crack rang out as Erthos face connected with a thick, low hanging branch. As his mount carried on, Erthos' grip on the reins slipped and he fell backwards, landing on the floor with a loud groan, his head spinning. As the rain poured down on his face in the pitch black, Erthos' mind started to slowly slip into darkness.

"Zyathri…" he managed to whisper before completely falling into an unconscious state.

Far ahead, Rastuazi rode into the darkness, the crashing of thunder and bolts of lightning not fazing the Blood Elf as her hair was plastered to her face by the rain. Instead, she was deep in thought, her mind at war with itself. Had she said the wrong thing to Erthos, or was she within her right to say what she did? The look of hurt that had briefly flashed across the younger Blood Elf's face was still fresh in Rastuazi's mind.

It was then, whilst lost deep in her thoughts, that Rastuazi became aware that something was wrong. Bringing her mount to a stop, she looked around, her eyes seeing in the dark much better than any normal persons would. Erthos was no where to be seen.

"Erthos...?" Rastuazi said quietly as the warm rain rushed down around her. Her eyes darted around as she felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach. The feelings of anger and hate that had tried to take shape inside here were rapidly replaced with concern and worry for her young friend. _Friend…_the word took shape in Rastuazi's mind as she sat atop her mount, the concept seeming strange and absurd for reasons she wasn't suite sure of. One thing she was sure of, though, was that she needed to find Erthos.

Taking a firm hold of Nightmares reins, Rastuazi turned her mount around before sending him surging forwards, back along the path they had just gone. As Nightmares hooves connected with the ground at lightning speed, Rastuazi's eyes scanned quickly all around. It didn't take her long to make out the shape of Erthos' own mount standing still in the rain. As they got closer, she then made out the shape of Erthos lying on the floor.

"Erthos!" Rastuazi called out as she leapt from the back of Nightmare mid sprint, hitting the floor running as she came up to the injured Blood Elf. Coming to a stop, she crouched down over him, looking over him. Blood was flowing slowly, but steadily, from a gash on his forehead, as well as from his nose. Looking around, Rastuazi spotted the low hanging branch, a branch she had easily ducked under thanks to her improved vision, but apparently a branch that Erthos hadn't been so lucky with.

"Erthos, can you hear me?" Rastuazi said quietly, leaning in close to Erthos. The only response she got was a slight groan from him, prompting more worry to wash through Rastuazi. Reaching down, she slid her arms underneath the warlock, slowly picking him up off the ground.

As she held onto Erthos, Rastuazi became aware of another noise in the night, mixing in with the heavy rain and thunder. Looking around, a flash of lightning lit up the area to reveal a ring of scourge advancing towards them, most likely attracted by the smell of blood. _Scourge…out here? But why? _Rastuazi thought to herself as she held Erthos closer to her.

"Come closer…I dare you…" she called out to the advancing Scourge, her unholy aura spreading outwards. Looking to Erthos, Rastuazi shook him slightly. "Come on…wake up" she whispered to him, slight amounts of worry present in her voice. Sure, she could most likely take the Scourge on in a fight by herself, but whilst holding onto Erthos? Not likely.

Erthos, however, seemed to stir slightly at the sound of Rastuazi's voice. His brow furrowed and his hands clenched into fists as he lay in Rastuazi's arms, almost to the point of waking up, but he looked to be failing just short. Around them both, the Scourge seemed to have stopped advancing momentarily, as if unsure attacking would be a good idea.

It was thanks to a deep guttural scream that the worry vanished. From the branches of a near by tree, one of the Scourge lunged, letting out its cry of battle. As fast as she could, Rastuazi freed one of her hands, still gripping Erthos with the other, and raised it towards the oncoming Scourge zombie. A blast of unholy energy, a Death Coil, erupted from her hand and collided with the zombie, sending it sprawling backwards, but not killing it.

"Don't say you haven't been warned!" Rastuazi said to the other Scourge zombies around them. Listening to the groans and creaking bones of the zombies, Rastuazi focused intently, a ring of red runes splashing out underneath her. The area that the Death and Decay effect touched lit up with an unearthly red glow, providing some light around them. "Erthos, wake up…"

Slowly, and with a lot of groans of pain, Erthos opened his eyes. Rastuazi looked at him, looking into his unfocused eyes. The gash on his forehead was still bleeding, but the blood from his nose had stopped. As Erthos slowly came to, Rastuazi threw a look to the zombies who were now circling the Death and Decay area, hissing and growling, waiting.

"What happened…" Erthos said slowly and weakly. Closing his eyes, he reached up and placed his hand against his forehead in a bid to stop the throbbing that he felt. When he felt the moistness that was present, he pulled his hand back, looking at the blood that was on it. "That's not too good…" he said before wincing as pain shot through his head and nose.

"Erthos, I'm sorry I left you behind" Rastuazi whispered quietly as she helped Erthos to stand on his own two feet, the young Blood Elf swaying slightly as his head swam. "I won't do it again…" Erthos looked at Rastuazi and simply smiled gently as he tried to focus on her, to straighten out his unfocused brain. Around the two of them, the Death and Decay aura started to fade away, its red glow fading away, throwing the two of them into darkness again, the groans of the undead surrounding them mixing in with the heavy rain.

Reaching behind himself in the darkness, Erthos wrapped his hand around his staff, pulling it from its holder. Beside him, Rastuazi took out her own sword, the runes etched into its surface emitting a dull glow. At the same time, Erthos reached into his bag, pulling out a soul gen, charging it with energy.

"You ready?" Erthos asked, looking to the Death Knight, using his staff to support himself as his body slowly sorted itself out. In the darkness, Erthos could make out a slight smirk on the partially illuminated face of Rastuazi as she knelt down on the ground, placing her hand flat on the wet surface.

"Almost" she said, letting out a chuckle as the ground decayed beneath her touch. Standing back up again, Rastuazi took a slight step back as a rotten hand and arm burst from the decaying ground, grasping at the open space around it before digging its fingers into the ground. With a lot of groaning, a zombie pulled itself out of the ground, mud and flesh dripping from its rotten body as it looked over to Rastuazi, waiting for orders. "Now I'm ready" the Death Knight said with a smile, commanding the zombie to move towards their foes.

Erthos couldn't help but arch an eyebrow as he watched the lumbering shadow move into the darkness. Leaning on his staff more, the young Warlock gripped the soul gem in his hand and threw it with all his strength into where he judged the middle of the attacking group to be. After a few seconds, that felt more like hours to Erthos, there was a bright purple flash, followed by the emergence of his Voidwalker minion.

"…I don't like this place…" it hissed in the darkness, its eyes glowing fiercely in the night. "…send me back…" Without a second thought, the undead launched their attack. Several of them begun attacking the larger Voidwalker, trying to wrestle the demon to the ground as it swung at them. A small batch attacked the oncoming zombie, the deceased attacked groaning out what sounded like the word "Brains", but Erthos couldn't be sure over the other noises around them. The rest of the undead, however, started to move towards to the two Blood Elves.

Rastuazi watched them come closer with a large grin on her face as she jammed her sword into the ground, holding out her hand in front of her. A sickly green coloured stream of energy erupted from her hand, colliding with the closest attacker before travelling through all those around it, infecting them all with a rotting disease. Erthos, for his part, moved so his back was towards Rastuazi. Steadying himself using his staff, he held out his hand towards the undead on the other side, focusing intently, trying to push past the throbbing in his head.

Curling his hand into a fist, Erthos yanked his hand down. Above the attacking undead there was a rumble, a sound unlike the thunder that was already present, causing some of them to stop and look above them. Rapidly the clouds started to glow red before fireballs erupted from their billowing surface, raining fire down on the undead, setting them alight. Fear and panic quickly set itself inside the undead enemy's simple minds, causing them to run about wildly, running into their allies and setting them alight as well.

Turning her head to watch the burning undead with a smirk, Rastuazi pulled her sword from the ground, no longer content to stay where she was and instead join in with the fray. Charging forwards, Rastuazi swung her sword round over her head and down, letting out a cry at the same time, her blade easily carving into the flesh of the attacking undead. It wasn't long before the Scourge realised their mistake in attacking the two Blood Elves, those that managed to avoid the reach of the Voidwalker, or Rastuazi and her zombie minion, instead found themselves being caught in the incinerating effect of Erthos' firestorm.

As Rastuazi started to finish off the Scourge that remained in a bid to fight till the end, Erthos stopped concentrating on keeping the firestorm going, instead watching the Death Knight. As the female Blood Elf fought, one of the undead finally managed to get closer to her, reaching out and clawing at her face slightly. Wincing at the sudden cut, Rastuazi pushed the undead back with her boot before calling on her strength again to place down another Death and Decay aura on the ground around her, instantly killing the remaining attackers.

As the last one died, Rastuazi fell to her knees, panting slightly, more energy being used than she had first planned. Underneath her, the red glow from the Death and Decay faded away quickly, and her summoned minion fell apart. Stumbling slightly, due to lack of energy on his own part, and due to his throbbing head, Erthos made his way to Rastuazi, smiling slightly as he did so.

Rastuazi looked up to Erthos, offering a smile of her own before standing up. She was happy to see that he was doing fine, more or less, her previous anger and sorrow towards him now all but gone. The smile quickly faded though as her superior vision caught sight of a rider baring down on them. Gripping her sword tightly, Rastuazi brought the blade around just in time to block a Shadow Bolt that was flung towards her, causing her to stumble backwards and fall onto her back.

"Get away from that young warlock, Scourge fiend!" came a voice from in the darkness, from the oncoming unknown. Erthos spun around to look at the figure as they approached, bringing their steed to a stop just in front of them. In the darkness, all that Erthos could make out was a hooded shape wearing a long robe. Beyond that, he had no idea who they were dealing with. All the same, he gripped his staff, his Voidwalker moving in closer to him, to protect him.

"You wounded boy?" came the voice again, a hint of concern showing as they spoke. Erthos quickly picked up that it was a female voice, as did Rastuazi as she pushed herself up onto her elbows. Even before the figure reached up and pulled back her hood, her brown hair falling down over her shoulders, Rastuazi knew who it was.

"Zhantara…?" Erthos said, with a slightly puzzled look, one eyebrow raised as he looked at the female warlock in the darkness, sitting atop her mount. "What are you doing here? Why did you attack Rastuazi?" Erthos gripped his staff even tighter as he looked over to his Voidwalker, only just making his shape out in the darkness. Zhantara looked over to where Rastuazi was now slowly getting up onto her feet before looking to Erthos again.

"You aren't under some Scourge spell are you, boy? That there…person…is a Death Knight, one of them damned pieces of Undeath! Don't go trusting her…" As Zhantara spoke, Erthos could almost feel the venom and hatred that was present, as could Zyathri who flinched with almost every bad word. _Zhantara…You don't recognise your own sister… _She thought to herself. _Maybe I am just a Scourge Fiend…_

"Zhantara, don't you recognise me?" Rastuazi said slowly, taking a cautious step towards the angered female warlock. A clap of thunder rung out as Zhantara raised her hand towards Rastuazi, a glowing ball of energy forming, waiting to be launched at its target. Rastuazi got the hint and stopped in her tracks, looking from the ball of energy to Rastuazi.

"Don't call me by name, fiend!" Zhantara spat, her other hand reaching inside her robes. Erthos' eyes only just picked up the movements in the dark as the older warlock pulled a soul gem from some pocket that was hidden away, the small gem giving off a powerful glow. "I don't talk to the dead." Without another thought, Zhantara tossed the soul gem towards Rastuazi, who watched it collide with the ground before emitting a large flash. As soon as Rastuazi's eyes had adjusted, she caught sight of what Zhantara had summoned, a rather vicious looking Fellhound.

"Now then, boy, where is my sister?" Zhantara said as she climbed down from the back of her mount, moving towards Erthos as the Felhound growled deeply at Rastuazi. "Why has she let you come under the spell of such a creature?"

Erthos' mind started to panic as he looked in the darkness from Zhantara to the Felhound. Throwing another look to his Voidwalker, Erthos nodded slightly, the summoned demon understanding his master's thoughts and commands, quickly moving in between Rastuazi and the Felhound. As Zhantara watched the minion with a raised eyebrow, Erthos reached into his pouch, his hand grabbing hold of the amulet which he quickly placed around his neck, feeling the surge of new energy run through his body.

"I assure you…" Erthos said, gripping his staff and moving to stand behind his Voidwalker. "I am under no spell." Erthos looked sternly at Zhantara, managing to catch the rather surprised look on her face as she stared at the young warlock before her. Letting out a sound of disgust, Zhantara reached behind her, taking hold of her staff before pointing it at Rastuazi.

"Then why are you guarding a Scourge Death Knight, boy?" she asked, glaring at Rastuazi who couldn't help but turn her head away slightly. Erthos could tell from the sound of Zhantara's voice that she was trying to keep herself calm, to understand the situation. The Felhound before them, however, wasn't attempting any such thing, instead choosing to growl and snarl at Erthos and his Voidwalker.

"You really don't recognise her, do you?" Erthos said slowly as he looked at the staff pointed at Rastuazi before looking to Zhantara, his voice filled with sorrow. He looked over his shoulder to Rastuazi, who was looking at the other female Blood Elf again, before looking back to Zhantara himself. He knew he had to try and keep her calm, else she do something drastic.

"Are you implying that I speak with Scourge, boy?" Zhantara asked in an angered tone, her staff now pointed firmly at Erthos as she frowned at him in the darkness. _So much for keeping her calm… _Erthos thought to himself as he now looked down the length of the staff.

"No…" came Rastuazi's voice as she suddenly stood in front of Erthos, Zhantara's staff almost pressed against her chest plate. Rastuazi's hands clenched tightly into fists as she studied her sister's face, her mouth opening slightly as she tried to find the words to explain. Letting out a sigh, shaking her head slightly as she did, Rastuazi focused intently on Zhantara. "Sister, it's me…"

Zhantara seemed to pause for a moment as her brain processed this new information, the staff lowering slightly. For a moment, both Erthos and Rastuazi saw Zhantara's face soften, some of the rage fade away, but the moment soon passed. Taking a step forwards, Zhantara raised her hand, a shadow bolt forming, illuminating the Death Knights face.

"You are no sister of mine, fiend" she said slowly and quietly, as if struggling to get the words out. "My sister is no…Death Knight Fiend!" Rastuazi tried to retain a stone faced expression as she felt the shadow bolt close to her skin, her eyes locked intently with Zhantara's. The two of them were so immersed, that both were surprised at the sudden outburst from Erthos.

"Your sister died, Zhantara!" he shouted angrily at her, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his staff tightly. "She died protecting me, saving me!" Erthos looked to Rastuazi quickly, the weight of her death falling on his shoulders again, the anger inside him quickly cooling off as he looked back to Zhantara. "She died over a month ago…" he continued quietly, pausing for a moment. "She was buried in Lights Hope Chapel, and her body was taken by cultists and brought back as a Death Knight, as Rastuazi…"

Zhantara's mouth opened slowly as she stared at Erthos. "Wh-what…" she managed to say as she took a step away from Rastuazi, the shadow bolt fading away, her staff dropping to the floor. Slowly, she turned her head to look at Rastuazi again, as if studying her face intently. "No…No!" Zhantara suddenly shouted. "My sister is not a Death Knight!"

"Zhantara, please…" Rastuazi said, taking a step towards her sister, easily picking up on the struggle she was having accepting the truth. "I'm still here…" Rastuazi's advancement was quickly stopped by the Felhound who snarled at the Death Knight, threatening to attack.

"You are no sister of mine, Death Knight" Zhantara said in a cold, cruel voice. "If my sister died, so be it. But I will not accept that she has been turned into the undead!" Zhantara seemed to seethe as she stood in the rain, staring at Rastuazi. Slowly, she turned her head and looked at Erthos, her brow furrowing deeply as she reached down and picked up her staff.

"You…" she said slowly, taking a step towards Erthos, who watched Zhantara with caution. "You got my sister killed….How dare you!" With a wave of her hand, the Felhound suddenly leapt away from Rastuazi, making a charge for Erthos, baring its teeth at the young Blood Elf.

Erthos blinked in surprise at the sudden attack, his body quickly reacting on auto-pilot, his mind drawing on the lessons he had learnt from the Argent. His hand raised quickly, a shadow bolt erupting forth and colliding with the lunging Felhound, striking it in the jaw and causing it to fly backwards. At the same time, the amulet let out a bright glow, a slight aura extending around Erthos. Gripping his staff tightly, he raised it above his head before swinging it down and round, aiming for Zhantara's legs as she begun to channel her own attack, the Voidwalker making his own advance.

"No!" Rastuazi suddenly cried out, rushing forwards, Erthos' attack instead colliding with her, causing her to fall over. As quick as she could, Rastuazi got herself up off the floor, standing between Erthos and Zhantara with her arms outstretched. "Don't hurt my sister! Call back your demon….or else…"

Rastuazi looked at Erthos, opening his mouth to offer protest, but stopping, simply nodding and lowering his staff, the Voidwalker returning to his side. Rastuazi smiles faintly, as if saying thank you, before turning her head to look at Zhantara, deep sorrow in her eyes.

"Please, sister…just leave…" Rastuazi said quietly, looking at the female Blood Elf. Zhantara glared at Rastuazi for a moment, before turning her attention to Erthos. Erthos couldn't help but take a step back as he was glared at, the end of Zhantara's staff glowing intently.

"You…I will make sure you pay for what you have done to my sister" she said slowly, her voice cold and harsh. "Whether by my hands, or someone else's, I will see you incinerated. Mark my words." After taking one last look at Rastuazi, Zhantara span on the spot, quickly moving to her mount and climbing on. With a tug on the reigns, the Warlock sped away into the darkness, Felhound in tow, leaving Rastuazi and Erthos to stand in silence.

"I'm sorry, Rastuazi…" Erthos finally said, breaking the silence between the two of them. "I can't begin to imagine how bad that must have been for you…" Erthos looked over to the shadowy figure that was Rastuazi, the rain around them starting to lessen, but the dark clouds remaining over head.

"Yeah…" Rastuazi responded, letting out a heavy sigh. Moving slowly, Rastuazi picked up her sword from the muddy floor, sliding it back into its holder on her back before looking over to Erthos, her eyes glowing brightly in the darkness. "…I've just been disowned by my sister…"

"Well…" Erthos paused for a moment, watching as Rastuazi moved over to where Nightmare had waited patiently, standing next to Erthos' own mount. "What if we found a way to cure the Scourge infection?" Rastuazi stopped where she was, her back towards Erthos, who now found himself wondering if he had said the right thing. His knowledge of Scourge infections wasn't very vast, beyond that it was dangerous and highly deadly if you were infected.

"…Cure…the infection…" Rastuazi said quietly, not turning to look at Erthos. "No…" she carried on, shaking her head. "There is no cure for what has happened to me. I am what I am. It is something that I have to come to terms with."

Erthos felt his heart drop slightly as he heard Rastuazi. _There must be a cure somewhere… _he thought to himself. Looking at the Death Knight, he moved forwards, reaching out to offer comfort to his friend but quickly stopped his hand short as he remembered the amulet hanging around his neck.

Reaching up, Erthos pulled the amulet up and over his head, the glow of the amulet fading away as a small smile played on Erthos' lips. Making sure the amulet was securely in the pouch attached to his belt, Erthos took a step forwards, promptly letting out a slight yelp as he did so. With a grunt, Erthos fell forwards onto his knees as the extra energy from the amulet quickly left his body. As his hands collided with the muddy ground, the Voidwalker near by vanished as the magical energies keeping him bound to the world also faded.

"I…I feel so weak" Erthos said slowly, shaking his head slightly as he jammed his staff into the ground, using it as a support to help himself up. Rastuazi soon appeared at his side, placing a gentle arm around the young Blood Elf, supporting him.

"Come on…" she said quietly as she led Erthos over to Nightmare. "You don't have the strength to ride a horse properly. At least if you ride with me, I can make sure you are ok." Rastuazi smiled faintly as Erthos looked at her with a smile of his own. "Besides…" she continued, chuckling slightly. "I can't have you knocking yourself out again."

Erthos let out his own, slightly embarrassed, laugh and nodded in agreement. Using Rastuazi as his means of support, Erthos put his staff in its holder before leaning against Nightmare. Before she climbed up onto her steed, Rastuazi removed her sword from her back, sliding it onto the holder that was hanging from Nightmares side. Once in position, Rastuazi turned and offered a hand to Erthos, helping him climb up onto Nightmare.

"Thanks" Erthos said with an appreciative smile, putting an arm around Rastuazi. Catching a quick look of Erthos' face, Rastuazi could tell her companion was on the edge of passing out from lack of energy, so it came as no surprise to her when he slumped forwards against her back, eyes closed with a faint snore. Looking down at the arm wrapped around her waist, Rastuazi smiled slightly, placing a hand on Erthos arm, taking hold of Nightmare's reins with the other.

"Come on, Nightmare" she whispered to her horse, giving the reins a slight tug. "Let's get going." With a shake of his head, Nightmare moved forwards, his owner and rider keeping him at a steady walking pace as they made way through the Barrens, heading towards the forests of Ashenvale.


	11. A note from the Writer

Heya guys and girls,

Loc here with an update with regards to my stories and the lack of updates of late.

First off, let me just say thank you for reading them, and the feedback that has been given. I wasn't sure about posting these up when someone suggested it to me, but I am glad I have. It has given me a nice big boost in confidence and spurned me on to write more!

But, on to the purpose of this little post: an explanation as to why I have been slow on updates.

The first reason is a lack of time as of late. I work full time, so finding periods where I can put in the required amount of time to get something decent typed up doesn't happen as often as I would like. Couple that with trips out of the country over the last month means I haven't had the chance to sit down and type up much.

The second one, and perhaps maybe the primary reason, is something I am trying to do. My Tales of Warcraft stories all happen within the same universe. Normally, this just means that characters from one story will appear in another (like how Magnill appears in both the Footman Clark story and this one).

However, there is one point where I have an actual crossover planned between two stories, namely this one and another of my Warcraft tales, Karis. The crossover itself is very minor. It's only for a few paragraphs and the such. However, I want to get the two relevant chapters posted at the same time, in case people are interested in seeing things from the other angle.

I actually have most of the next chapter of Karis typed up and ready to go. But, I don't have much of the Eversong chapter typed up yet.

So, I ask you, please be patient with me whilst I try and get this out to you all. Take the time to have a look at Karis if you haven't read it before. You never know, you may enjoy it.

And again, thank you for taking the time to read my stories!

Loc


	12. Chapter 10: Troubles of the Vale

_Chapter 10_

_Troubles of the Vale_

Rastuazi looked around at the trees that made up Ashenvale, their branches reaching high above the ground, as if yearning to touch the sun itself. Along side the well trodden path was lush green grass, the occasional flower jutting above the ground, adding an element of colour to the scene. Rastuazi looked at them all with a silent sadness, knowing that if she was still alive, if she was Zyathri, she would be taking joy from such a sight. Instead, they only served to remind her of what she had lost.

Scolding herself, Rastuazi shook her head, looking down at the arm that was still wrapped around her waist. She hadn't lost everything. Despite all that had happened, Erthos had remained her friend. Rastuazi still wasn't sure why, but she knew she was glad to still consider him a friend all the same. Thinking along those lines, she smiled as she placed a gloved hand upon his arm, causing a faint stir from the young warlock as he rested against her back.

The journey into Ashenvale had taken a lot longer than Rastuazi had planned. Night had passed on and they were well into the next day by time they finally rode into Ashenvale, leaving the Barrens behind. Even now, another night had made its presence known and now a new morning was setting in. All the while, Erthos had stayed sleeping. Rastuazi assumed that the combination of the massive strike to his head, followed by the fight against the scourge and Zhantara had left him severely drained.

It was due to the obvious need of rest that Rastuazi had made Nightmare walk the entire distance, rather than run it. If they had sprinted through the Barrens and then Ashenvale, they would have made it within the day without issue. But, such a journey would have woken up Erthos almost instantly. Thankfully, even at their slow speed, no one had come to bother them.

In truth, Rastuazi needed rest too. She hadn't slept since the incident with Zhantara, the encounter shaking her to the core. She also hadn't eaten, but it was becoming apparent that that was something she didn't have need to do anymore. One thing Rastuazi had been thankful for, however, was that the sunlight no longer seemed to affect her as much. She still preferred to avoid it, and she was at her strongest during the night, but she could now remain in the sunlight without fear or worry from collapsing.

Glancing up, Rastuazi peered from behind the hood of her cloak at the clear sky above. Not a single cloud could be seen as the suns rays covered everything it touched. Thankfully, a gentle breeze was also blowing through Ashenvale, doing a very good job of keeping Rastuazi cool inside her armour.

Slowly, Nightmare came to a stop next to a river, taking a moment to drink from its refreshing waters, Rastuazi letting herself smile as he did so. As the steed drank from the river, a rustling noise started to rush towards them, causing Rastuazi to turn her head in the direction of the noise. Her brow furrowed as she wondered what it could be, her hand slowly moving to the handle of her blade that was holstered on Nightmares side. The chance to draw the weapon, however, didn't come.

With an incredible amount of speed, a creature lunged from the bushes, its head turned to look behind it. It was so focused on what was going on behind, that it didn't noticed Nightmare until it was too late, colliding with the horse, causing it to stumble wildly, sending both Rastuazi and Erthos sprawling to the floor. Erthos let out a yelp as he was woken up suddenly, looking around dazed, whilst Rastuazi was quick to her feet and drawing her sword from its sheath.

Erthos watched as Rastuazi slowly made her way to the creature, who was lying sprawled on its belly, its silver fur shinning in the sunlight, marked only by blue stripes across his back and ring around its head. Its blue coloured eyes had a dazed look in them as Rastuazi approached, ready to strike the beast down.

Before Rastuazi had a chance to strike, a group of Night Elves burst from the bushes from the same spot as the beast, all shouting out what sounded to Erthos like war cries. They were all brandishing weapons of different types, some with nets. Upon seeing Erthos and Rastuazi, they came to a quick stop, looking at the two of them with a confused look.

Erthos was quick to his feet as the group looked at each other. Rastuazi's attention quickly left the beast, instead turning to the Night Elves. Erthos, however, watched as the beast rose to its feet. He started to raise his hand as he saw the beasts muscles tense up, preparing to let loose a blast of magic, but stopped when, instead of attacking, the beast ran and hid behind Erthos, cowering from the Night Elves.

Erthos looked at the cowering creature as one of the Night Elves stepped forwards, adorned in more armour than the rest, brandishing a large sword that he pointed towards Rastuazi, who stared down its length into the eyes of the Night Elf.

~You are a Death Knight!~ said the man in a language that Erthos couldn't understand, threads of fear and anger present in his voice. Rastuazi, however, understood what he had said perfectly. Her face seemed to soften slightly, as if pained. Letting out a sigh, she put away her sword, turning her back on the Night Elves as she looked at the beast.

~Yes, I'm a Death Knight, and a former member of the Scourge~ Rastuazi said as Erthos looked at her with a slightly confused look. ~What are you going to do about it?~ Erthos continued to watch her, throwing the occasional look to the Night Elves, who appeared to be as confused as he was.

"You understand them?" Erthos asked Rastuazi as she walked over to him, the Night Elves now talking amongst themselves, as if unsure of what best to do next. The beast peered from behind Erthos as Rastuazi came over, looking up at her as she came to a stop beside the warlock.

"I have a basic understanding of the Darnassian language, yes" Rastuazi said as she crouched down beside Erthos, pulling back her hood and allowing her hair to fall about freely. "Blood Knights are required to have an understanding of all the common languages" she continued as the beast looked at her with its blue eyes. Tilting her head slightly, Rastuazi listening in on what the Night Elves were talking about, one or two of them giving them an occasional glance as they spoke.

"It seems they were hunting this poor thing…" Rastuazi said quietly, her voice soft as she looked at the beast, feeling sympathetic towards it. Slowly, she held out her gloved hand, but not enough to touch the beast. Erthos watched quietly as slowly the beast crept forwards, sniffing Rastuazi's hand before nuzzling it gently. Erthos couldn't help but smile at the sight as Rastuazi herself allowed a small smile.

"Why would they be hunting it?" Erthos asked, looking over to the Night Elves as they finally separate, the more armoured one stepping forwards. Erthos watched with a slightly raised eyebrow, wondering what they were going to do, when all of a sudden the man started shouting at the two of them. Erthos wasn't sure of what had just been said, but he could easily tell that it hadn't been nice.

Rastuazi had understood perfectly what had just been said and was quick to her feet, storming over to the Night Elves. Quick as a flash her sword was drawn, grasped firmly in one hand and pointed squarely at the armoured Night Elf, who had a look of panic suddenly flash across his face.

~I don't care if we've interfered with your hunt!~ Rastuazi almost shouted, her eyes glowing fiercely. ~For what reason do you hunt this beast, hm?~ The Night Elf seemed to stutter slightly, as if his previous bravado that fueled his earlier harsh words had now vanished. Rastuazi, however, continued on. ~You seem well clothed, and this is not the sort you would hunt for food!~

Erthos prepared himself to step in, a feeling of unease creeping up his spine. He knew that allowing Rastuazi to go all out on the Night Elves would be a very bad idea, and only hinder any future travels of theirs. Before he had a chance to do anything, however, the bushes started to rustle once more. Erthos watched as from the shadows came a large Nightsaber, pouncing and landing in-between Rastuazi and the Night Elf, causing the two of them to step away from each other with confused looks.

The Nightsaber growled at the two of them for a moment, as if warning them. Its purple, almost black fur shimmered slightly before Erthos was treated to an unusual and new sight for him. Before his eyes, the Nightsaber started to rapidly change, its fur and tail vanishing, legs shortening and taking the shape of humanoid arms and legs. The transformation took only a couple of seconds, but it was remarkable all the same. As soon as the change had happened, Rastuazi and the Night Elf no longer looked confused.

Standing between them was a tall female Night Elf. Her long dark green her swayed softly in the breeze, her eyes looking from Rastuazi to the Night Elf. Her skin was a light purple, her ivory coloured leather armour tight but snug fitting. She also had shoulder armour, the feathers that jutted out from their underside the only apparent sense of flair on the armour. Erthos could tell that it was armour designed for function, rather than to look fancy.

~Halt my brothers and sisters!~ the woman said, turning to look at the other Night Elves, raising her hands towards them. Erthos hadn't noticed, but the hunting group had started to move forwards, obviously guessing that this newcomer was here to help them. Erthos could hear the grumbles coming from them as the Night Elf slowly turned to look at Rastuazi again.

"Why are you in our forests?" the female Night Elf asked, talking this time in native Blood Elf, almost flawlessly so. Erthos couldn't help but let out a slight sigh of relief as he heard the words.

"Finally, someone I understand" Erthos muttered to himself as he looked over to Rastuazi, wondering what she would say. Rastuazi remained silent for a moment before turning on her heel and walking over to Erthos, who looked at her with a surprised expression. She stopped beside him, reaching up and gently placing a hand on his shoulder, and act that caused Erthos to smile slightly.

"Your turn to talk" Rastuazi said softly, a slight smirk appearing on her face as she watched the colour fade from Erthos' face. "Don't worry, you will be fine." Still smirking, Rastuazi crouched down, her cloak brushing the ground as she reached out and petted the beast, who in return nuzzled at the hand. Erthos looked at Rastuazi for a moment, then over to the Night Elf who seemed rather surprised by what she was watching.

"Hello…" Erthos said quietly, taking a step towards the woman. Erthos wrung his hands as he looked at the Night Elf hunting party. Closing his eyes, Erthos took a moment to compose himself, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly. Opening his eyes, he looked at the woman before talking.

"My name is Erthos, and this is my friend, Rastuazi" Erthos said, motioning with his arm to Rastuazi who was still tending to the beast, who was more than happy to receive the love and attention of the Death Knight. "We didn't come here to cause any trouble, we are only passing through. My friend has become an outcast, rejected by her own family. We don't have anywhere to go, so we are travelling."

The Night Elf remained silent for a moment as she looked at Erthos. She seemed to be studying him, judging him. Her head turned slightly as she looked once more at Rastuazi. The female shifted slightly on the spot before looking back to Erthos again.

"I can feel the Scourge energies within your friend" she said quietly as Rastuazi stood upright, turning to look at the woman, the beast rubbing against her leg. "And yet…she does not act like one of them…" Erthos looked over to Rastuazi for a moment before looking back to the woman. From what Erthos could guess, the woman was stuck at a moral dilemma. Rastuazi was acting the complete opposite of what a Death Knight would normally do. With a sigh, the woman continued talking.

"You may travel our lands, for now" She said slowly, looking at Erthos. "Do not expect to be welcome in our towns, however. But, as long as you keep to yourselves, the Sentinels will not cause you harm. If they do, tell them that Tylira has granted you passage, and they will let you through."

Erthos smiled, relaxing and letting out an inaudible sigh as the woman, Tylira, decided to let them through. He didn't know what they would have done had she said no, but thankfully that wasn't the case. Taking a step forward, Erthos reached to shake Tylira's hand, but quickly stopped, instead opting to bow politely, an act that caused Tylira to raise an eyebrow.

"Thank you" Erthos said, standing up straight again. "We will make sure to stay out of the way during our journey." Tylira nodded politely as Erthos turned and walked back over to Rastuazi who looked at him with a slight smirk.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" she said, folding her arms across her chest as Erthos came to a stop in front of her. Erthos let out a nervous chuckle as a response, shaking his head slightly. Rastuazi smiled warmly at Erthos for a moment before looking down at the beast. "So, what are we going to do with this beast then?"

Before Erthos could offer a response, there was a loud, anger filled shout that erupted forth from Tylira, causing both Erthos and Rastuazi to look at the woman with shock and surprise. Tylira, whose back was turned to Erthos and Rastuazi, seemed to be breathing heavily, her arm having taken the form of a bears claw. The two of them watched as the hunters all quickly sprinted away from Tylira, leaving her alone with the two Blood Elves.

There was silence for a moment, save for the running of the water in the small river beside them, which Nightmare had returned to drinking from. Slowly Tylira's arm reverted back to normal, the Night Elf turning and looking to Erthos and Rastuazi.

"Until next time Erthos, Rastuazi" she said to them both before returning back to her Nightsaber form and running back into the bushes. Erthos looked at the bushes for a moment, half expecting something else to suddenly burst forth from them. When nothing did, he turned and looked at Rastuazi.

"We should give it a name" Erthos suddenly said, causing Rastuazi to look at him with slight confusion. She looked at the creature for a moment before looking at Erthos again, tilting her head to the side and uncrossing her arms as she did so.

"Give it a name?" she said slowly, unsure of why Erthos had suggested it. "You wish to keep it as a pet?" Erthos nodded and smiled at Rastuazi before crouching down and lightly petting the creature, who returned the affection by licking Erthos' hand.

"I don't see why not" Erthos said as he continued to softly pet the beast. Rastuazi couldn't help but smile at the idea of keeping the poor creature with them, but found herself unable to think up any names. Instead, the Death Knight shrugged slightly.

"Well, going by the markings and the crown on its head, its male" Rastuazi said quietly, looking at the beast. "So, it needs a male name." As Rastuazi finished talking, Nightmare suddenly trotted over, grunting at the creature with a sound of disdain, causing Rastuazi to smile.

"Easy, Nightmare" she said, lightly patting Nightmare on the neck, calming the horse down as the beast hid behind Erthos, who couldn't help but chuckle slightly. Erthos looked at the creature for a moment, holding out his hand and lightly scratching it under the chin, causing it to let out a slight grumble noise, almost like a purr.

"I know" Erthos finally said after a few moments thought, standing up straight and looking over to Rastuazi. "We can name him Tyrin." Rastuazi looked at Erthos for a moment, who had a huge smile on his face, before looking at the beast. She shrugged slightly before nodding.

"Tyrin, hmm?" Rastuazi said slowly, rolling the name around in her mouth before looking at the creature. "What do you think?" The creature looked at Rastuazi for a moment, his head cocked to the side before it walked over to her, rubbing its head against her leg, prompting a slight laugh from Erthos and a smile from Rastuazi. "Tyrin it is then."

Erthos continued to smile at Rastuazi, enjoying the look of happiness that was present on Rastuazi's face. It seemed that even with the bad hand she had been dealt, the Death Knight found things to smile about. When Rastuazi turned her head to look at Erthos, the warlock quickly averted his look else where, his cheeks turning a slight shade of red as he reach up and scratched the back of his head.

"So, where are we going now then?" he asked quickly, wanting to move the topic on before Rastuazi made any mention of him staring. Rastuazi herself couldn't help but let out a faint chuckle. Although Erthos had been quick to look away, she had indeed seen him, and in truth had liked the attention he was giving her.

Slowly, Rastuazi turned on the spot, looking at the area around them, glancing at Nightmare who was still eyeing Tyrin. She let out a faint sigh before simply shrugging.

"I don't know" she said quietly, looking over to Erthos for a moment, some of her hair falling from its place behind her ear and brushing against her cheek. With a slightly irritated tut, she pushed the hair back in place before letting her arm drop to her side. "Maybe we ought to find a place to rest so that you can eat. Surely you are hungry?"

Erthos paused for a moment before nodding. He was indeed rather hungry, his stomach growling at him, causing him to place a hand on his stomach and wincing slightly. Tyrin looked up at Erthos with a quizzical look as Rastuazi simply smirked.

"Let's get off the path, at least" Rastuazi said, moving closer to Nightmare and taking hold of his reins, taking a moment to pet the steed lightly. "We could do without any more trouble from the inhabitants here, I think."

"Agreed" Erthos said, smiling slightly. With a slight wave of his arm, he motioned for Rastuazi to lead on, moving in line beside her as the moved further down the path before turning to the side, heading into the trees, Tyrin in tow. It didn't take the small group long to arrive at a clearing that was large enough for them to stop, but still far enough away that they shouldn't be disturbed.

Erthos was soon gathering loose bits of dry wood that he knew would work well for a fire as Rastuazi removed the saddle and reins from Nightmare, allowing him to run about freely in the enclosure. Once he had the wood assembled, Erthos raised his hand and let a blast of magical fire strike the wood, igniting it instantly. Pleased with his work, he sat down close to the fire, taking his bag from his belt.

With a stretch, Rastuazi sat down opposite Erthos, watching him quietly as he reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of raw meat. Taking a spare stick, he skewered the meat, holding it over the now brightly burning fire, cooking the meat. It didn't take long for the intoxicating smell of cooking meat to fill the area. Even though she knew she didn't need to eat, Rastuazi found herself eyeing the freshly cooked meat hungrily, as did Tyrin who had decided to sit down beside her.

"Would you like some?" Erthos suddenly said, having noticed the look on Rastuazi's face as she stared at the meat. She started to shake her head, to refuse the offered food but quickly stopped. Instead, she nodded slightly, reaching out and taking hold of the stick that held the meat as Erthos passed it to her. She looked at it apprehensively for a moment, the smell of it filling her nostrils, enticing her to eat it. Just because she didn't have to eat, didn't mean she couldn't, right?

Slowly, Rastuazi brought the meat to her mouth, taking a cautious bite as Erthos watched quietly. Slowly Rastuazi chewed, her eyes starting to widen slightly as the taste struck her. She had tasted meat before, of course, but that had been before her death. This was the first time she had eaten anything since her resurrection, and although it was just a piece of cooked meat, it was the best thing she had ever tasted. She quickly finished off the meat, licking her lips afterwards, savouring the taste.

"Tasty, I take it?" Erthos said, smiling gently at Rastuazi. She slowly lifted her head to look over to him, feeling slightly embarrassed by how it must have looked, her hurriedly eating the food.

"Yes…" She said slowly, lowering her head again, looking at the stick that was still in her hand. Again, her hair fell from its place, covering her face from view, but this time she decided to leave it holding. "I do not need to eat, but…I miss it. I miss that, and everything else that one would do whilst alive…" Rastuazi paused for a moment before letting out a long yawn.

"Like sleep, you mean?" Erthos said with a gentle laugh as he started to cook another two pieces of meat, as well as throwing a piece of raw meat to Tyrin, who happily started to eat it. "How long has it been since you rested, anyway?"

Rastuazi lifted her head up to look at Erthos, petting Tyrin gently as he ate his food, and shook her head slightly. She wasn't sure how long it had been. A day at least. Her mind was struggling to keep track of the hours as they went by, offering little help in working out how long things had been as they are. She felt like she had been a Death Knight for years, when she knew it had only been a matter of days.

"I will rest soon…" Rastuazi said slowly, looking at Erthos still. She found herself biting into her lip slightly, a slight knot forming in her stomach as she slowly stood up, walking around the fire and sitting beside Erthos. "…I would like some more food first though, please?"

Erthos looked at Rastuazi for a moment, who appeared to be doing her hardest to focus on the fire, before passing her another piece of cooked meat. Rastuazi took the offered food and slowly ate it, taking her time this time. Erthos smiled slightly and ate his own piece of meat, not saying a word as the flames of the fire danced before them.

Again, Rastuazi let out a yawn, the fatigue caused by lack of rest starting to strike deep. Erthos looked at her for a moment, her head starting to droop slightly. Instinctively, he reached out and placed his arm around Rastuazi, her body instantly freezing up from the unexpected touch.

"You need to sleep…" Erthos said quietly, trying to restrain the reflex to pull his arm back. "Go on, we will be safe here" he said with a warm smile as Rastuazi looked to him, eyes glowing dimly.

"…Yeah…" Rastuazi said, her voice a faint whisper as she closed her eyes, slumping against Erthos. Erthos blinked slightly in surprise at the sudden act before smiling warmly, adjusting his arm slightly to get a better hold of Rastuazi.

"Sleep well, Rastuazi…" he whispered, reaching over with his free arm to take hold of one of the sticks, skewering another piece of meat before cooking it. Erthos watched as Tyrin walked over, resting down beside Erthos, curling up and seeming to also fall asleep.

The hours soon passed as Rastuazi and Tyrin rested, Erthos spending his time simply watching the fire as it started to die out. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep too, the only noise filling the area being the light crackling from the smouldering fire.

The first indication that something was wrong was that Erthos couldn't breathe properly. Slowly his eyes opened and started to sting. Bringing his hand to his mouth, he tried to stifle a cough as he looked around. The clearing had been filled with a thick layer of smoke. Erthos' mind quickly turned to Rastuazi, his head turning to the side and a wave of relief washing over him as he saw her still sleeping, resting against him.

"Rastuazi, wake up" Erthos said, letting out loud cough as the smoke filled his lungs. Rastuazi slowly stirred from her sleep, rubbing her eyes as she slowly sat up.

"I never was one for waking up…" she mumbled to herself as she sat upright. She looked around for a moment, her mind taking in what was happening as Erthos rose to his feet, using his robe to cover his mouth as best he could, coughing as he did so. "What's going on?" Rastuazi asked, jumping to her feet and looking around, preparing for an attack.

"I don't know" Erthos said, looking to where the fire had been, seeing it now dead, thankful that it wasn't that which had caused the issues. "I woke up to find it like this!" Rastuazi looked at Erthos and nodded, quickly taking hold of Nightmares gear before putting it back onto the horse. As soon as the saddle was secure and the reins in place, Rastuazi was straight onto Nightmares back, offering Erthos a hand.

"Come on, lets go" she said as Erthos came running over, coughing more as he did. "We can't stay here, you will choke to death." With one pull, Rastuazi lifted the young Blood Elf up onto the back of Nightmare, allowing him a moment to get comfortable. "Tyrin, lets go!" Rastuazi shouted to the beast who was quick to his feet and running over to them. With a tug on the reins, Nightmare sprinted out of the clearing into the trees, Tyrin running along side.

As they sped through the forest, the smoke got thicker and thicker. Rastuazi knew they were getting closer to the source of the cause of it all, but part of her wasn't sure why. She wasn't a paladin after all, she wasn't obligated to help people anymore, and yet here she was. The only answer she could come up with, the only one that seemed plausible, was that she knew it was what Erthos would want to do.

Bursting forth from the trees, Nightmare came to a sudden stop. Down a small slope was the source of all the smoke. Surrounded on all sides by a collection of warlocks channelling various magics was a small Night Elf village, most of the buildings in flames. Erthos and Rastuazi could make out Night Elves running around, trying to put the flames out, only to watch as the fire that rained from the sky set them alight again.

"We have to help them" Erthos said suddenly from behind Rastuazi, causing the Death Knight to let out a slight sigh. She had been right, that this would have been what he wanted to do.

"We don't have to do anything…" Rastuazi said coldly as she looked at the Night Elves before pulling on the reins of Nightmare, getting him to turn around. Before they had made any progress, Erthos had jumped down and landed on the ground, a look of anger forming on his face.

"Yes we do! We can't just leave them!" he said, his voice raised to almost shouting. "They aren't equipped to deal with this themselves!" Rastuazi continued to look at Erthos for a moment, her eyes studying him.

"All they will do, if we save them, is turn on us…" Rastuazi said slowly, no emotion showing in her voice. "They are Night Elves, and we are Blood Elves. It is what will happen." Rastuazi shook her head, preparing to leave once again.

"That wouldn't stop Zyathri, and it won't stop me…" Erthos said suddenly before turning on the spot, running down the hill. Rastuazi remained frozen in place as Erthos sprinted away, his words ringing in her ears. _No, Zyathri wouldn't be stopped by something like that_ she thought to herself, turning slowly to look at Erthos as he ran towards the flames. _But I'm not Zyathri…I am Rastuazi…aren't I?_

"Erthos…" Rastuazi slowly said before pulling on the reins to Nightmare, charging down the hill with Tyrin directly behind.


End file.
